Too Good to be True to Me
by DemolitionLvr
Summary: Kyoko didn't hear Sho call her his maid and her heart was never broken. A few months later, Sho inadvertently gives Kyoko a start in acting. As he watches her become more beautiful and famous, she is still his for the taking. Until Ren comes in.
1. Chapter 1

Too Good to Be True to Me Chapter 1

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><p>"Kyoko!"<p>

She heard the voice from across the large apartment, and went to greet her childhood friend and recent superstar, Fuwa Sho. "Hello, Sho. How have you been?"

"Come with me." He started walking away, assuming she would follow him. After slipping on her shoes she had trouble keeping up with his long strides, so she called out for him to wait. He stopped in front of the elevator and waited for her to get on before pressing the close door button.

"What are we doing?" She inquired curiously. Sho just looked bored, and looked down at her, his eyes saying _be quiet_. She rolled her eyes, put a hand on her hip, and said, "If there's no reason for me to be leaving, then I'll just go back to the apartment. It's late and I had work all day."

Sho was surprised at how frank, almost borderline rude, she had gotten with him in the last month or so. He briefly wondered what was up, but then dismissed it as the effects of Tokyo on her. Which, in a way, was true. He rolled his eyes back at her, and deigned to explain himself, "There's an empty spot in my new PV that the company can't fill now, because it's too late and we need to be finished by morning. It calls for someone your size in a kimono, so I told them I knew someone who would do it for free. Can you act?"

She looked at him, baffled by his audacity and incredible assumptions. She didn't think she would have a problem with acting, but the fact that he just commanded her to come and told the producers that she needn't be paid annoyed her. She had been with Sho for over a year in Tokyo. He had become widely popular, with a huge female fan base, and his ego had become incredible. She had run away with fairy tale dreams about them. After living in in Tokyo for nearly a year and a half, she'd realized something.

She didn't hate him; she just wasn't really in love with him anymore. She could see him for who he was. She still loved him as a friend, as a person she had always known, but sometimes she wished he would cool his arrogance.

They walked into the parking lot and towards the waiting car of his manager, a woman who introduced herself as Aki Shoko, and was, Kyoko observed, quite stunning.

He looked at her, and raised an eyebrow at her lack of response to his earlier question and explanation. "Well, are you gonna do it?" She sighed. "Why not?" It might be fun.

At the studio where the PV was being shot, the director questioned Kyoko about previous experience acting. Her answer was easy: none. The director groaned. "Well, can you at least walk like a proper young lady? That's what the character is." Kyoko smiled softly and gave a proper ladies' bow. "Yes sir, that shouldn't be a problem," she said, rising. The director looked at her thoughtfully, then sent her to wardrobe.

Kyoko was so used to wearing kimonos that she didn't need much help getting into it, leaving more time for her hair and makeup, which she was ecstatic about. The makeup artists were partially amused and partially freaked out by her sparkling enthusiasm and multitude of questions about everything they did.

When she came out, Sho was stunned, along with everyone else. The makeup was very natural looking, emphasizing the shape and golden color of her eyes. Still, Sho couldn't believe how good she looked. The makeup had given her confidence, and the soft smile on her face was _enchanting_. Sho shook his head at that thought. _Ridiculous, I'm starting to think like her now._

Inside Kyoko was beside herself with excitement, but she remembered the Fuwa Okami-san's training. She remained, on the outside, calm and poised. The woman who had done her makeup brought her to the director, saying, "I just put on some light makeup. It should do. What do you think, director?"

Director Suzuki turned to see the replacement small part, and saw a girl more dignified and, in fact, more beautiful than the girl who would be playing the lead. He briefly wondered if it was the same girl, until she executed the same perfect bow, and asked for guidance. "Huh. Yeah, she's good." He pointed to his assistant director, and told him to explain to Kyoko the plot and her role in the PV.

"It's simple really. The setting is a ryokan, the main characters are Sho and the young lady over there who is playing his love interest. The song is called "Be My Escape*," and the story is basic: the young lady is entrapped in her duties to the inn and hoping for escape when Sho comes. They fall in love, he courts her, her family disagrees as she is to be married to some other rich guy she can't stand, so he whisks her away, and they live happily ever after."

Kyoko loved fairy tales, and although she knew that Sho stealing the girl wasn't solving the main problem of her duty to the inn, she accepted it, and went starry eyed. The assistant director became the third person, after the two makeup artists, to see Kyoko in LaLa land. He was appropriately weirded out, and shook her shoulders gently to regain her attention. When she came back down to earth she said, "That's a lovely story." The smile she flashed at him was astonishing, and the assistant director felt his heart beat faster.

"But what is my role?" Kyoko's question brought the man back to his senses, and he hurriedly answered the pretty teen. "You are playing the best friend who is the only one who supports the relationship."

Kyoko was relieved. She didn't think she could play the antagonist when she loved the story so much. The assistant director then explained the story in more detail, and described her scenes, and answered the many questions she had about the purpose of this or that on set, and what other people were doing. He continued talking to her, hoping to see that smile again, until he was called over by the director as filming was about to start. The first scene being filmed would be a few very short clips of Kyoko and the lead girl, whose name she discovered was Ayane, a singer from Akatoki, the same agency as Sho, chatting and being friends. These scenes were easy enough for both girls, just acting like close intimate friends. Although Kyoko had never really had a girl friend, she just tried to feel what she would want to feel with her friend, comfort, companionship, ease of mind, love, concern for each other. With that, she was able to act like the two had been close for years.

Ayane wasn't happy being a part of this at all. She was a singer, and although she wasn't as famous as Fuwa, since she didn't feature in the song, she didn't understand why she had to be in the PV. As a result, her emotions were rather flat. While this could be ignored in the friendship scenes where Kyoko shined, it couldn't be ignored when they were filming her wishing for escape. The director called for longing, desperation, and self-pity. Ayane just looked bored.

After about fifteen takes, Director Suzuki got mad. Suzuki was highly intolerant of people who don't even try in their roles, and this stuck-up idol was going to ruin the production. They were so late in doing this, they needed to send the films for editing within two and a half hours if they wanted to keep in contract, and this girl was ruining their tight schedule.

He called for a five minute break while he went to explain, once again, the emotions he wanted for the role.

For the first time since being pulled away for costume, Kyoko got a chance to go speak to Sho. Now that they were on break, she went over to where he sat, lounging off to the side. She sat next to him, and gave him the smile that had blown the assistant director away. It had a similar effect on Sho, although he didn't understand why. _When did she become so pretty? No, no, she's not, it's the makeup. But the artist said that they kept it light . . . Still, she's still my boring, plain Kyoko, and no one knows her like I do._

"Sho, thank you so much for letting me do this. It's so much fun." She was still smiling, and his heart was still pounding because of it. He didn't know what to say, usually he just hit on girls he found attractive, and they were sure to respond. But this was Kyoko. She wasn't supposed to be pretty. She was supposed to be convenient, and obedient. A maid, like he had told Shoko a month previously. He was getting annoyed with his own confusion.

"Um, Sho," Kyoko began. She continued when he looked up at her concerned face, "Don't you think you should do something about that." She gestured towards where the director and Ayane were having a heated argument.

He shrugged, "It's the director's job to make the actors do their jobs."

She looked at him sternly. _He's such a brat_. "Sho, this is your PV. You should at least ask your co-star to cooperate. Otherwise, this may not get done and-"

Kyoko was cut off by an annoyed shriek. The two of them turned to see Ayane storming away from the director as he shouted, "You are still under contract!" She screamed back, "Then you might as well change the part to make it easier, I'm not an actress!"

Director Suzuki sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He looked around for Fuwa, and found him sitting next to the girl he had brought in as a replacement. Suddenly he had an idea. He grinned to himself. They would change the part, if that was what Ayane wanted.

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><p><strong>an: This first chapter turned out way way way longer than I had planned it to be. The whole 'replacement in his PV' situation was meant to be a short introduction to the rest of the story, but it's growing and turning out differently as I write it. Actually, this might be better. I have a plan for this, so don't worry. Also, I read every review I rece****ive, so please please let me know what you think! Cheers**

**PS, the name Ayane means colorful sound, which I thought was just such an appropriate stage-name for a stuck up singer.**

*Be My Escape is a real song by Relient K. all ownership goes to them. and if you choose to listen to the song, i know that it's not really suited to the theme or story of the PV, i just happened to be listening to it while i wrote this, and i thought of a story similar to her acting test in ring doh to introduce her to show-biz. so the song doesn't fit the PV, but the PV fits my story so i'm sticking to it ;)


	2. Chapter 2

Too Good to Be True to Me Chapter 2

**Whoops.** In the first chapter I said that this is taking place a month after Sho called Kyoko his maid. I should have said more like three or four months, to give her time to fall out of love. Well, hope you enjoy this chapter.

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><p>Kyoko looked at the fuming starlet with well concealed surprise. <em>And I thought Sho was being ridiculous and arrogant.<em>

"Man, what a bitch. She's not even a very good singer either," Sho sneered at the back of the retreating Ayane. Kyoko shook her head, _no, he's still more of an ass._ She chuckled lightly at her friend's attitude. She was so used to it that it hardly phased her.

Caught up in their personal thoughts on Ayane's behavior, neither teens noticed the director approaching until he called Sho to ask about a slight change in plans.

Kyoko watched them speak in low voices, and saw Sho look curiously at her several times, and then they both shrugged and nodded. They walked back to her, and she waited with one raised eyebrow raised in question.

Director Suzuki was the one who spoke. "Kyoko-chan," he called her, surprising her with the casual address, "we've decided to switch the roles of you and Ayane-san."

Kyoko's mouth opened into a small _O_ in shock. "You mean . . . I will be the lead?" Sho and Suzuki both nodded. The director said that they would pay her what they were going to pay Ayane if she could pull it off. Kyoko, having found that she really enjoyed acting, told them with determination that she would put in her best efforts to succeed.

Sho had been surprised that the director had suggested using Kyoko as the lead, but found himself strangely intrigued by the idea of Kyoko as a lover. He tried to shake the strange idea, but it lingered. It was so odd to see Kyoko as anything but a convenient and loyal servant. Now he realized that she was actually a female. And becoming a rather pretty one at that. _What? No, she's not pretty. She's flat as a board, and doesn't dress up ever. What am I thinking?_

Sho stood by while Kyoko was filmed the scene Ayane couldn't do. She closed her eyes, thinking about the girl she was portraying. _A proper Japanese young lady with a strong sense of duty. But she wants so much more. Life outside of her restrictions is so inviting; there is meaning somewhere, she knows it, she wants to find it._ Kyoko opened her eyes and moved into position on set. The Director gave her the signal to start, and she moved. The scenes would be a series of clips of her going about a very normal day in an inn, but conveying through her eyes and body language that she was desperately lonely, and wanted escape.

Kyoko looked like a ghost floating around. She looked like she would blow away. Her eyes were empty. Her movements were refined but apathetic. Occasionally, she would pause in the middle of a task and close her eyes and sigh. During the clip with her "mother" she put on a fake smile while she went about her task, but her loneliness was still evident. She only truly smiled when her friend, the role forced upon Ayane by threat of lawsuit, visited.

Then Sho's scenes came. Kyoko immersed herself in the feeling of loving everything about the person before her, her whole being was shining with warmth and love. Her convincing act even drew reactions out of Sho, who was in general a terrible actor. Guided by Kyoko, however, he looked like a fool in love.

The other scenes followed the same trend. Kyoko's natural skill was astonishing. Sho knew how she was raised, so he knew her grace and polite manner were thanks to his mother. But the heart-wrenching emotions she portrayed seemed so real. It was incredible.

When filming was finished Kyoko signed a few release forms and agreements, then she left with Sho and they went back to their apartment.

Kyoko was glowing with happiness. Never before in her life had she done something like that, something she really loved doing and wanted to do well in purely for herself. Well, not just for her, but also because she wanted the people who saw that video to love the story as much as she had. She hadn't, on the other hand, thought of doing it to make Sho happy. Even though it was his PV, his satisfaction wasn't what she was looking for; she looked to the director for approval, and was encouraged when he gave it after the first take almost every time.

Sho wasn't blind. He saw her glowing. She looked . . . beautiful, he had to admit. He found himself very attracted to the girl he had been treating so poorly over the past year. And he caught himself actually flirting with her, flashing her wide smiles, brushing his hand against hers, mimicking her movements as they went up the elevator, and walked towards their door. Not that she even noticed, she was talking to him animatedly about the possibility of actually pursuing acting.

When Sho finally comprehended what she was saying, his first reaction was to laugh. Luckily he stopped himself before he laughed in her face, but he was still looking at the possibility of Kyoko being famous as comical. Then he started thinking about how much she had seemed to change that afternoon. She had originally looked very plain, sure, but then she got into character. He finally realized that that was the change he had seen when she came out of makeup. She had gone from a normal girl with good manners to a beautiful and confident ojou-sama.

_Maybe she wouldn't just succeed in show-biz . . . Maybe she would flourish. I really want to see that._

"Hey, if you want to become an actress you'll need an agency. Come with me tomorrow, I'll take you to the president of Akatoki. Maybe they'll take you on."

Kyoko started jumping up and down in excitement. "Really? Oh, thank you Sho!" She exclaimed as she hugged him.

Sho was surprised, when he hugged her back, at how comfortably she fit into his arms. She was soft, warm, and slender. He leaned his head down, and noticed that under the faint lavender smell of her shampoo was a lovely distinct smell that was uniquely her. He breathed it in deeply, until she suddenly released him, and continued walking down the hallway to their apartment door. He stayed where he was for a moment, lost in his thoughts again.

_What was I just doing?_

"Sho? What are you doing? Come inside."

The next day, Sho strolled into Akatoki with a small teen girl by his side, much to the surprise of the staff in the lobby. But as they strolled straight to the elevators without a word, everyone went about their business without sparing it a second thought.

That morning Kyoko had spent more time than usual on her appearance. She wore her favorite outfit, a white skirt and a nice top, although it was still rather plain, and brushed out her hair and left it down, using some of Sho's hairspray to keep it in place. She had also used some moisturizer on her face, so her complexion was clear and smooth. She looked rather nice even without makeup, Sho thought, but then he shook his head in confusion. He still couldn't understand where these weird thoughts were coming from.

When they reached the president's office, Sho announced himself to the secretary, and strolled into the office without waiting for permission. Kyoko tried to stop him, for the sake of decorum, but he ignored her. Inside the office, Sho was greeted by the President of one of the largest talent agencies in Japan as his "favorite rising singer." Kyoko wondered if he flattered all employees, or if he was just like that with Sho. Either way, in a business where egos could become as huge as Sho's, she wondered if it was wise to hear such praise from one's boss.

Sho ignored the president's antics and got straight to the point. "President Sato, I would like to introduce you to my friend Mogami Kyoko. She is hoping to become an actress."

Kyoko walked farther into the room until she was directly in front of the president's desk and bowed. She straightened, and said in an even voice conveying confidence that she didn't really feel, "It is a pleasure to meet you, sir. I hope we haven't come at an inconvenient time."

Sato waved that away, saying, "Never mind that. So you want to become an actress, huh?" Kyoko gave her affirmative quickly.

Sato looked her over thoughtfully. _She's rather plain, nothing special, seems too polite and sweet to make it in a cut throat business like this. More trouble than she's worth.  
><em>

After a very short pause, the president said coolly, "I'm sorry, Mogami-san, but I'm afraid we can't take you on."

Kyoko took pause to consider his words. Then she asked the obvious, "Why not?"

Sato sighed resignedly. Explaining himself to idiots was annoying. But it had to be done, so he looked up at her and said, "To be frank, Mogami-san, because in Akatoki we don't sign plain little girls who are trying to sleep their way into success. It was idiotic of you to come here with Fuwa and allow him to speak for you. That is all."

Kyoko was mortified. This man who didn't know her at all had just called her a plain, stupid whore. And then he dismissed her. When Kyoko got over the shock, she didn't argue with the man's statements, although Sho was shouting some nonsense. Instead, she bowed and walked out with all the dignity she could muster.

_If the president of this company is that stupid, I don't want to be here. They have a competitor don't they? I think it was called LME. I guess that's where I'm heading._

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><p><strong>an: So here's chapter 2. I hope this is as good an idea written out as it was in my head. It seemed like pure genius in my mind, but got kinda weird when I wrote it out. The main points I wanted to get across were Kyoko's new found love of acting, Sho's growing love for her, and Kyoko being shunned by the prez of akatoki (I figured she had to want revenge on someone, even just a little bit, or it just wouldn't be the Kyoko we all know and love). Please review and tell me how I'm doing! Cheers.**


	3. Chapter 3

Too Good to Be True to Me Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I totally forgot to say in the 1st 2 chapters that I don't own skip beat or any of the characters. it should be obvious, but just for formality's sake.

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><p>Kyoko had a plan before she was out of the elevator and into the lobby. She had an evil grin and a harsh aura that made the crowd part to give her room to walk.<p>

Out of the door, she hailed a cab that brought her to the apartment she shared with Sho. As soon as she arrived she started packing her bag. All she had brought from Kyoto was one large suitcase. She had half of her possessions into the bag already by the time Sho arrived. He had stayed behind to thoroughly vent his anger at his boss, not that it changed President Sato's mind. Seeing Kyoko packing surprised him. _Is she going somewhere?_

"What are you doing?" She looked up at him with mild surprise. She hadn't seen him come in. "I'm packing. Obviously."

Sho rolled his eyes. "Yes, but why?"

Kyoko looked him in the eye. There wasn't an ounce of doubt in them when she declared, "Because, Sho, I am going to become an actress, and I will not have it said that when I started out I was living with Fuwa Sho. Your boss is right; it makes it look like I'm trying to sleep my way to the top."

"What am I supposed to do?" Sho asked as if his convenience was her responsibility and sole duty, and she was abandoning it.

Kyoko laughed, "Well, I'm sure you can figure it out. I'm moving out of here. You can either pay the rent yourself or move out. Bye Sho. I'll call you soon."

Kyoko, her bag fully packed, walked out of the apartment, glancing back to smile and wave at her friend before strolling to the elevator and out of sight.

Sho was baffled. _When did she become so determined? The way she had walked out of that apartment, with confidence and purpose was really kind of sexy._

Sho looked around the now empty apartment. It would be a pain in the ass to keep up now that Kyoko wasn't there. He went to sleep in his bed. The next day he would wake up past ten, pack his clothes and other few things he kept there, and moved it all to Shoko's apartment. She would clean up after him at least.

Three days after she had left the apartment, Kyoko stood in front of the large LME building trying to calm her nerves. She had done some research on LME. It was a very successful agency, whose main star, Tsuruga Ren, was the top actor of Japan. He had become a hit very soon after his debut, and she hoped for comparative results for herself. The president of this company was rumored to be extremely eccentric, as well as an advocate of love, whatever the hell that meant.

After checking her newly cut and dyed copper hair one last time, she straightened her new clothes and walked into the lobby. This one seemed somehow more inviting than the one in Akatoki, but she was probably prejudiced.

Kyoko walked gracefully towards the two women at the front desk and asked if she could see anyone about becoming an actress for LME. The women looked at each other, and the one on the right started telling her that auditions for new talent had been a month ago. Kyoko frowned in response and asked if here was a chance she could speak to someone anyway, someone in charge.

"Who's this?"

At the sound of a man's voice calling out, Kyoko and the two women looked to see a middle-aged man walking towards them. The secretaries sighed in relief, and greeted the man. "Good morning Sawara-san. We were hoping you would come in. This young lady is looking to join the acting section, but we were telling her that she has missed the auditions."

Sawara looked at the young girl in front of him, taking in her determined and hopeful expression and excellent posture. She bowed. "My name is Mogami Kyoko. It's a pleasure to meet you."

He held out his hand and she shook it. "Sawara Takenori, head of the talent department. I suppose we should talk. Come with me, we'll talk with Matsushima. He's in charge of the acting department."

Kyoko couldn't believe that it had actually worked. She just walked in and found someone to talk to about getting hired. It couldn't actually be that easy, could it?

She followed Sawara down to a large area filled with desks and people. When Sawara called him, Matsushima came over and allowed himself to be introduced to a cute young girl who, he realized, had golden colored eyes.

"Mogami-san," Sawara continued, "is interested in becoming an actress, so I figured I'd bring her to speak with you."

Matsushima looked speculatively at her. "Why are you interested in acting?"

Kyoko blushed as she admitted, "Well actually, it's only a very recent thing. You see, I came to Tokyo with a childhood friend of mine who wanted to become a famous musician, and the other day he needed someone to fill a spot in a PV he was filming, so he just dragged me in. I didn't know what to think at first, but I found I was really enjoying it. Then the girl who was supposed to be the main character of the PV wasn't doing what the director wanted, so he had me play the lead role, and I was just so enthralled, acting as a different person, I loved it. But more than I wanted to do it to make myself happy, I wanted to make everyone who watched the PV feel what my character felt and love the story as much as I did."

Kyoko's eyes were shining by the time she finished; the two men could tell that she was earnest. They were surprised by her last sentence, because that was almost exactly what the President told them all talents needed to be successful: a desire to be loved by the audience. And they had seen the President's intuition lead to incredible success too many times to doubt him.

"How much do you know about the President of LME?" Sawara asked. She looked at him curiously, not understanding the point of the question, but answering, "Not much, just that he started the company when he was young and is known to be very eccentric, although I'm not really sure what that implies."

Kyoko received an example of eccentricity when Takarada Lory, the president of LME, walked into the room in 16th century European royal attire with several minstrels in tow. Kyoko, although shocked, hid it better than some. She actually grinned in amusement. _That is some dedicated cosplaying._

The president had apparently come to ask Matsushima about the problems his granddaughter was causing, but found him busy talking to Sawara and a cute young girl he had never seen before. He came up to the trio, and surveyed her as his head of the Acting Dept introduced her. The first thing he noticed about Mogami Kyoko was her perfect bow. Not many young ladies those days still bowed properly. She was unfailingly polite, yet eager through the introduction, not seeming thrown by his appearance at all, which was also a surprise to him. She gave a good first impression was his first judgment.

"So Mogami-san, seeing as you are talking to the head of my acting department, may I assume that you are interested in acting?" He inquired jovially. He loved meeting new talents; he could always trust his own intuition in regards to their potential.

"Yes, sir, that's why I came here," was Kyoko's response, and she had a spark in her eye that Lory liked to see. It was what separated the truly dedicated from the rest.

"Have you ever acted professionally before?"

"Just once. A few days ago I played the main character in Fuwa Sho's new PV."

Sawara and Matsushima both gaped at her. She had only mentioned that she was in a friend's PV, she hadn't given a name. It made them look at her differently knowing that she had such a famous friend and that she had been the star of a PV that would no doubt hit the top spot in the charts.

The president was rubbing his chin in thought. He stated, "I thought that Akatoki's new pop singer Ayane was supposed to be starring in that. The director of that video called me several days ago hoping I could provide him with a suitable actress to fill in a small part of that but I couldn't help him, no one available was appropriate."

This time the two other men gasped. Matsushima put words together first, "You mean that you replaced Akatoki's rising star?"

Kyoko blushed and nodded. They were looking at her in amazement. She really didn't understand the gravity of this revelation, or how incredible it was that a complete amateur would replace a rapidly rising singer.

The president made his mind up. Not only did he like the qualities he saw in her, ambition, perseverance, civility, and modesty being the most pronounced, but she had already appeared in what was sure to be a huge hit. He would sign her. But there was one thing that was bothering him.

"Mogami-san, we would love to have you at LME. Why don't we go up to my office and talk about more details." Kyoko was shocked. But then the president continued, "But Mogami-san, if you are friends with Akatoki's biggest star, and appeared in one of their videos, why didn't you go to Akatoki to become an actress?"

Kyoko was all of a sudden surrounded by a rather dark aura, and she scowled. The three men took a step back in shock. They hadn't expected the sweet little girl to produce such a strong anger. She stopped scowling, and they felt safe the step back when she started explaining. She had a hard, proud look on her face as she told them, "Well, to be honest with you, Sho brought me there several days ago. But the president of Akatoki was not very open to the idea of his talents bringing in their friends, and told me that they didn't have room for me."

Lory, being a very intuitive man with years of experience reading people, as well as years knowing Sato as a rival, knew that Sato had doubtless been very rude to this girl. He liked Kyoko. He didn't like Sato, at all. He looked forward to Kyoko's success making Sato feel like a total moron.

"Well, Sato was always quick to make stupid judgments. Did he even see Fuwa Sho's PV before dismissing you?"

"I don't believe editing was finished at the time, so probably not, sir."

"What a shame. I would very much like to see it. As soon as you officially work for LME, I will contact the director about seeing it."

With that, he gestured for Kyoko and Matsushima to follow him to the elevator to speak in his office. When they were gone, minstrels behind them playing some nonsense on pipes, Sawara headed back to the talent section to do paperwork, pleased with himself for his find. He had seen the president excited about new talents only a few times, and they always had quick rises to the top where they would remain. He knew there were good things to be seen from Mogami Kyoko.

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><p><strong>an: Well I must start off in saying that this chapter was such a pain in the ass. I kept going in circles and I had no idea how to reach the ending that I wanted. I rewrote whole sections several times, until suddenly I woke up and realized: I know exactly what should happen right where I'm stuck. Enter President Lory, the solution to all problems (I think at least) in Skip Beat! fanfiction. Don't know why someone does something ridiculous? It was Lory's idea. Need a random emergency? Lory has one. Comic relief? LORY! Haha, he's one of my favorite characters ever, I don't know why it took me so long to see that he could be the catalyst to end the chapter and get Kyoko a spot at LME. Anywho, I had something important to say... OH!**

**IMPORTANT NOTE! Kyoko does not have grudges. Sad, I know and I'm sorry. She is just REALLY pissed off. But Sato's insults weren't the huge blow that Sho's heartbreak would have been had she heard him. So her aura was dark and her scowl was fierce, but she did not have grudges strangling people. **

**THANK YOU FOR READING! I hope you enjoyed! I love reviews (hint hint). Till next chapter. Cheers!  
><strong>


	4. Chapter 4

Too Good to Be True to Me Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Skip Beat! or its characters or anything at all but this part isn't important, so just read the story.

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><p>"It was amazing, Sho, I couldn't believe how incredible they were, I was just some random girl who walked in and they were so nice. When I told them that I'd been in your PV they were so shocked. I'm going to have to find a way to thank you for all of this someday."<p>

"Yeah, whatever."

Kyoko had called Sho way too early in the morning for him to be really paying any attention. She sighed. She should have known better than to call before noon.

"Sho, since you're obviously not listening, why don't you call me back after you've had your coffee?"

"No, no, I'm up. Don't nag."

"I wasn't nagging, I was just trying to talk and you weren't listening."

"I'm listening now, so just go on telling me about all the wonderful people at LME."

Kyoko gripped the phone tighter at his bitter tone. She was in the kitchen of the Darumaya, which hadn't opened for lunch yet. The couple who owned the restaurant had been kind enough to let her stay there and work for the rent.

"Don't say it like that; it's not my fault your boss decided to call me a whore without even knowing me. But since you offered, I will tell you, at length, about all the wonderful people at LME."

Kyoko laughed at his unhappy grunt. True to her word, she started talking on about how she arrived and almost immediately met Sawara-san, who brought her to Matsushima-san, and then the president came in. She was surprised that he was actually listening to her. He usually just ignored her. He was surprised that he was listening to her too. He just couldn't help it. He had actually missed her over those past couple of days, which was even weirder since he had left her for days, weeks at a time when they had lived together. But when it was her that left he felt like he had been abandoned and it made him feel how important she was in his life. It was kind of humbling to admit that he needed her.

Kyoko had already expanded upon the president, and how odd he was, yet how business savvy he was, and started talking about the last person she had met before she left LME the day before: Takarada Maria.

"Apparently everyone at LME is terrified of the little seven-year-old, because she uses insects and voodoo to scare people. But she just lashes out because she blames herself for her mother's death and has an estranged relationship with her father. She took quite a liking to me though. Kindred spirits, I suppose."

"Did you say that a seven-year-old practices voodoo?" was Sho's only response. He tried to avoid the subject of Kyoko's mother as much as possible.

"Yeah. She started to show me some, but I had to head to work. I was running late because I had talked to the president so long. He gave me information on a bunch of open auditions for commercials and small appearances in dramas. He told me to try to get my face and name out as much as possible. My name, by the way, is going to be Kyouko, no family name. I don't get what it is about celebrities having one name, but Matsushima-san said that it's just easier to remember and simple since my name is Kyoko anyway. And I've signed up for LME's acting lessons. I had to ask president Takarada about long term payments since the class is so expensive, but I think it'll be worth it. I'm going in tomorrow for some sort of acting test to qualify for the class. I'm really worried about it. Why would they test you before teaching you? That's stupid!"

"Because they don't want to waste time on talentless hacks," Sho drawled. Kyoko hummed back, then looked at the clock and told Sho, "Hey I got to go, work awaits."

"Kay, bye."

After they had hung up Sho thought more about this weird problem he was having. The problem of being attracted to the childhood friend that he had regularly mocked and degraded behind her back while she worked like a fool for him. _Thank god she never heard me say that stuff._

But the way he saw it, his vision impaired by his huge ego, he couldn't do anything about it. He had had one night stands with fans before, but she wasn't just a fan, she was someone he wanted to keep in his life. And he had dated women before, but only very famous ones who could pump his publicity. Kyoko wasn't famous. Yet.

So, he would have to wait until she had some publicity on her own, then he would make a move.

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><p><strong>an: Really short chapter, I know. But any way I looked at it, this chapter was finished. Since I am writing this only hours after posting chapter 1, I have no idea if anyone will actually read this, but if you are, I really hope that you find it worth their time. Back when I only read, I didn't get why authors asked for reviews so much, but now i get it; you really put yourself out there when you let a bunch of people you don't know read what you wrote, and if they don't tell you that they liked it, you're sort of left hanging, thinking, "well, did it suck or what? Oh god, what if they think I'm an idiot?" Well, the point of this little ramble is that I would love you all so much if you would review with your honest opinion. **

**Thanks so much to everyone who has read and reviewed.  
><strong>

**Oh! next chapter, Ren! (have I told you that I am a die-hard RenXKyo fan?) Cheers.**


	5. Chapter 5

Too Good to Be True to Me Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Skip beat! nope, don't own it. This fanfic? totally mine.

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><p>The first time that Kyoko Mogami saw Japan's number one actor, she was walking out of her acting class. She had passed the very simple audition with flying colors and really enjoyed the class, and was making a few good acquaintances.<p>

Kyoko's first thought upon seeing him was _God, that smile is so fake_. Once getting over the scary professional smile, she glanced down at his shoes and chuckled to herself, considering that they obviously did not have 15cm platform shoes*. _The things we do for love, ha ha._

And then she moved on with her day. Tsuruga Ren was completely not a factor in her life.

The first time Tsuruga Ren saw LME's new teen actress, he was going to speak with the president, and she walked out of the office while he entered. She held the door open for him without really seeing him. She seemed distracted with blissful happiness.

When Ren walked into the president's office, he was still looking over his shoulder at the strange teen. "Who was that?"

The president chuckled. "Mogami Kyoko, our newest actress."

"I've never seen her before, did you just sign her?" That would explain why she was so happy.

"No we signed her about a week ago. I called her up today to offer to set her up going to high school."

"She didn't graduate high school?"

"No. She ran away to Tokyo after middle school with a friend to follow his dreams. Now she has her own. I have a very good feeling about her. But enough about Mogami-kun, what do you need Ren?"

Despite the turn of conversation, Ren kept thinking about her. He couldn't get the look on her face out of his head. She seemed so familiar, but he couldn't place it.

Three days after she spoke with the president about high school, Kyoko went to her first audition. It was for a commercial for school supplies, which she found ironically appropriate. The commercial would include several teens in short scenes in classrooms and hallways. Needless to say, Kyoko and several others passed the audition. It was the first job she had gotten for herself, so she was very excited.

The filming took place the next day at TBM studios. She was put in a school uniform and safety goggles and told that she would be in the Chem lab mixing colored waters to look like an experiment. It was only a five second clip, but the point of the whole thing, Lory had told her, was to get her used to auditioning for parts and working with others before she could begin working on big projects since she was completely new to the world of acting.

Within the following ten days, Kyoko took part in four more auditions. She only failed in one, because the casting people said they needed someone older. It still hurt. She was in one commercial for an anti-depressant where she played (you guessed it) a depressed teen, one commercial for a sports drink playing a cyclist (they were very impressed with her in that audition), and an ad for a popular clothing brand. She really enjoyed all of her parts, and gained quite a bit of experience in creating a character who can convey thoughts through more than just words, considering most of her parts didn't have lines. Plus, even though they didn't pay very much individually, they helped her pay the bills.

Before any of her commercials were aired, the PV for Be My Escape had gone through editing, had been put to the song, had been sufficiently over-advertised, and was released. Almost four weeks after she had filmed it, Kyoko was suddenly bombarded with her own face; it was on screens wherever she went. Then when the commercials she had filmed started appearing on TV, she saw more and more of herself, due to the fact that the CM directors, sensing that they had a new star on film, edited the commercials so that her parts were longer and more prominent.

Kyoko had no idea that those jobs would become so popular; she was shocked. So was Tsuruga Ren, who was still trying to figure out why she looked so familiar to him. He hadn't known previously about her appearance in the PV, and remained ignorant since he never listened to music, but he did see her in commercials several times a day. One time he saw three commercials featuring her in a row.

However, he was a very busy man, with not much time to dwell on a sixteen year old girl, so he continued to dismiss the issue.

Even though Kyoko hadn't had such high hopes for exposure from her commercials, it seemed that they and the PV had made her face well enough known that the president, who had taken a special interest in her career, insisted that she try out for a guest appearance on an already popular drama. Since it already had high ratings, he knew that putting her in for the four episode stint that the character had would bring her many more opportunities.

Kyoko heard about the audition late, so she only had two days to prepare for her role. She got help from her friend from the acting class, Kotonami Kanae. At first Kanae, who had failed in the LME audition so was taking the class and intended to try again, hadn't liked Kyoko, because she thought the girl was too sweet and innocent to survive in show business.

Then Kyoko started acting. Kanae was not the only one surprised by how completely Kyoko developed her characters. The whole class and the instructors were shocked, and Kanae gained a lot of respect for her.

So she, though still pretending to dislike the attention, had eventually grown rather attached to the odd girl with fairy tale day dreams and an incredible talent for acting.

Kyoko called her newly declared best friend, screaming, "Moko-san!" into the phone much to the annoyance of the person on the other end of the connection.

"Mo! I told you not to call me that. Why are you so excited at eight in the morning?"

"I'm more nervous than excited; I'm going to be trying out for a guest appearance on that popular period drama, _The Shogun's Fall_. The audition is in two days! Moko-san, will you help me practice? Please!"

Kanae sighed. The girl would weep and moan if she didn't, so she agreed to meet her at three so they could practice, once she was done with work and Kyoko was out of school.

They met at the allotted time and Kyoko brought Kanae to the Darumaya, where they could practice in peace and eat dinner. Kanae listened as Kyoko described the part.

"So the part is the Shogun's young bride, who has not been seen yet even though it's near the end of the first season. Her absence was explained away as due to an 'illness' that is never explained. When the wife finally reappears she seems fine on the surface, and no one will suspect anything for the first episode she appears in. But then in the second episode you can see her cracking until she kills the Shogun's closest adviser at the very end of the episode. Then in the next, there's turmoil as they try to find out who did it; no one suspects that she could have done it except for the Shogun, and when he tries to ask her, he sees how crazy she has become, and she attempts to kill him. She doesn't succeed of course. She is hauled away. The next episode is the season finale, in which the Shogun visits his deranged wife in a dungeon in the midst of all the other political problems he is having, and she predicts his downfall right before she performs jigai*. Apparently the second season of the show will basically be about the Shogun trying to avoid his wife's prophecy and therefore making it come true. He eventually goes mad, and his son takes over. There's a lot of other stuff going on at the same time, but that's what the wife is involved in anyway."

Kanae looked at the script in Kyoko's hands. Even though she had only received it that day it already looked worn out. And Kyoko wasn't the type to ignore her teachers, so she must have read it religiously during lunch and breaks. Kanae was impressed by her dedication.

"So," Kanae says, "why does your character go mad?"

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about the flashbacks. Well apparently because she was taken away from her home and forced to marry the Shogun, and forced into their marriage bed, she grows to hate and distrust everyone she meets while she longs for home. Plus she was never all too stable, because she had a bad childhood. The Shogun never even talked to her really, he just took her because she was beautiful."

Kanae nodded. She didn't get why this girl would think she needed help, it seemed like she already understood the character's background and role, and after that she just had to read the script. But Kanae wasn't a method actor like Kyoko was, so she didn't know how much of a struggle it was to start a new personality from scratch every time. "Well, what scene do you want to practice first?"

For the sake of brevity, let it be known that Kyoko practiced for every spare hour she could until she collapsed onto her futon to get a good night's sleep before the audition, finally confident that she could completely understand her character and leave her own mark on it. But being Kyoko she still wished that she had had more time to practice and rehearse.

She woke up the next day nervous as all hell, but hiding it as she walked into the audition ten minutes early. She looked around the room, surprised by the number of people there. The commercials she had auditioned for hadn't been very public, she had only heard of them through LME, so there usually weren't more than about a dozen people. But there was a lot of hype about this audition.

It may not be usual for a historical drama to be so very popular, but this show had a very special advantage: Tsuruga Ren was starring as the young Shogun.

The director knew very well that a majority of the girls at this audition had come to have a chance with Ren. Therefore, before anything started and they wasted their time with silly girls who weren't serious about the part, he asked all of the girls who were there to audition to stand up. Then he called Ren in.

Kyoko was completely confused; she knew he was the lead of the drama, but she didn't know why he had come into the waiting room until three quarters of her competition fainted. Then she understood. And she was relieved, that left only her and about twenty other girls.

The director sighed. It was worse than he had thought; were there any really dedicated teen actresses, he wondered. He called the remaining conscious girls into the next waiting room while security started clearing out the fangirls.

Kyoko was the last one to audition. She patiently waited, despite her pounding heart. It seemed like forever before she got her chance, but when she did, she left herself and her nervousness behind to become the character. Her sudden transformation shocked the casting people and Ren, who was doing a short scene with her of when she was still acting normal. They were even more shocked when she did the prophecy scene. She looked totally mad.

They told her that they would call her. The next day they did; she got the part.

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><p><strong>an time: this chapter= bane of my existence. I couldn't finish this for three days. i started a whole new story while i waited for this one to start magically moving along (i'll publish that sooner or later). it was awful. terrible. it just wasnt working. evil. ugh. i hope it turned out alright, cuz i really dont want to go back over it.**

**so i made up that drama, obviously. sorry about the crappy name, i suck at naming stuff. spoiler for next chap, dark moon has yet to be filmed, so i figured ren needed something to do in the meantime, and its just a short 2 season thing. i had to make a character of kyokos go insane (like the angel) so that director ogata could find her. i also thought it would be fun to have ren and kyoko working together more. many of my reviewers have been asking about what will happen with ren, how they will react to each other... well, suppose its coming now. look forward to that. i'm not going to write about the filming of this drama. that would take forever.**

**anyone who wanted more details about the CM auditions or filming, im sorry. this chapter was meant to get her career moving. and it has. so it served its purpose and im moving on.  
><strong>

**Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing this story. every time i see that someone has enjoyed my story enough to favorite it or review it, it encourages me to keep going. cheers.**

*In case you don't remember, in chapter 1 of the manga, Kyoko (to sooth Sho's ego) told him that 15cm of Ren's height must be because of hidden platform shoes. Sorry if that confused you.

**jigai is ritual suicide for women (as opposed to seppuku), generally done with a tanto knife across the jugular. women often tied their knees together so that they would be found in a dignified position. thank you wikipedia for that info. i figured it would be more dramatic if she predicted her husband's downfall and then killed herself just to make her point.**  
><strong>


	6. Chapter 6

Too Good to Be True to Me Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** My name is not Nakamura Yoshiki, therefore Skip Beat! is not mine. I have merely borrowed its characters, places, some situations, and twisted them to my will, just cuz. after all, it is fan fiction.

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><p>A very depressed Ogata Hiroaki walked into the office of the president of LME. He didn't know why Lory had called him here, but it wasn't like he had anything else to do. The project he wanted to do more than anything had been put on hold due to his failure to cast one character. He had made a movie recently that had gotten decent reviews, but it wasn't the same.<p>

"Ogata-kun! Why so down?" Lory exclaimed from his throne. It could only be described as such, considering he was dressed as Zeus, King of the Gods. His assistant was nearby, dressed as Hermes.

"Hello President Takarada. Did you need something?"

"Right to the point, aren't you? Well, I want you to watch something with me; I think it'll cheer you up."

Ogata watched as Lory clicked a remote and a wide screen TV turned on. Lory played what appeared to be a historical drama saying, "This is going to air next week. It's the first season finale. But most of it is irrelevant. I just want to show you one scene that I think can solve all your problems."

Ogata was surprised. An idea, more like a dream, started to form in his mind. The one thing he needed to remove himself from his father's shadow. He scarcely allowed himself to hope that he knew what Lory might have found.

Then he saw her. Just what he needed. She was young, pretty, and dignified. But that twisted, evil smile was exactly what he had hoped for, and the way she predicted the demise of the man in front of her was perfect. He gave Lory his first real smile in weeks, and Lory smirked.

Lory had found him the perfect Mio.

Tsuruga Ren was walking with his manager Yashiro Yukihito into LME at about eleven thirty when Yashiro's phone rang. He pulled on a surgical glove and answered it. Ren waited while Yashiro quickly agreed to whatever was said. When he closed the phone, he told Ren that the president wanted to see him immediately.

When the two men arrived at Lory's office, they were greeted enthusiastically by a fragile looking man in light clothing. Lory was talking animatedly on the phone, something about great opportunities and how complex some character is.

"Director Ogata? What's this about?" Ren asked.

"Tsuruga-kun, it's wonderful! We can finally start _Dark Moon_! We've found our Mio!" Ogata exclaimed. Ren was shocked. The project had been waiting for months for them to find an actress who would be up to the challenge of a Mio more powerful than the first. He almost couldn't believe it.

Lory hung up the phone and declared, "She said she would do it." Ogata smiled brightly, and Ren asked, "Well, who is she?"

Lory was smug as he said Mogami Kyoko.

Kyoko had been on the set of _The Shogun's Fall_ for four weeks to film her four episodes. In that time, the cast and crew grew very fond of her, as she was always very polite and professional, as well as sociable and modest.

Ren in particular had liked her. To add to the qualities that everyone liked, she had a similar attitude about acting to his. She was very determined. She could act opposite him without getting flustered. He had enjoyed getting to know her, and he had had lunch with her and Yashiro several times on the days they had filming. She had been horrified by his poor eating habits, and made a habit of inquiring about his meals whenever they met. He didn't quite know why but he just found himself enjoying their time together more than he enjoyed spending time with others, and he found himself acting more relaxed around her. Filming had finished a few days ago, and he found himself missing her.

Hearing that he would be working with Kyoko again made Ren happy, but he didn't like the look on Lory's face when he said it. It seemed like he knew something that the rest of them didn't, and Ren got the feeling that it was about him.

The director left almost immediately after that, as he had a great deal of work to do, studios to book, actors to call, papers to sign, press conferences to set up. Ren asked Yashiro to go ahead of him and get them lunch, promising to be after him in a few minutes. Once he was gone, Ren asked, "What was with that look earlier?"

"What look?" Lory innocently asked.

"When you told us that Mogami-san would be Mio, you got this weird, smug, knowing look. What was that about?"

Lory chuckled. "Nothing, it was nothing. I was just thinking that at the rate you're going, you may not have as much trouble with Katsuki as I had thought."

"The rate I'm going with what? What are you talking about?"

Lory seemed to be deep in thought. "You know, I really like Mogami-kun. I think she is going to be a wonderful actress. I wonder if she has feelings for that Fuwa Sho, I mean, she ran away with him to Tokyo after all. Doesn't that seem like love to you?"

Somewhere inside, Ren bristled at the idea of Kyoko in love with someone. He had no idea where the feeling came from. "Why do you keep changing the subject? I asked what you were talking about."

"I didn't change the subject, not once. Now you go ponder that for a while and catch up to Yashiro. I have to see a man about an elephant."

Ren was shooed out of the office, and did indeed ponder what the president had said.

Lory had been against him taking the part of Katsuki months ago because he said that Ren had never been in love before. Now he says he might be able to pull it off for some reason, and then started talking about Kyoko. Lory was crazy about love, so maybe he thought Ren had fallen I love? And since he started talking about Kyoko, maybe he thought Ren was in love with her. But that was entirely ridiculous; the girl was sixteen, he had only known her a few weeks, and besides, he didn't deserve love. It was just the president and his crazy ideas again.

Wasn't it?

Fuwa Sho was pacing.

Kyoko hadn't called in two weeks. It was his fault, even though he hated to admit it. She used to call him every week when she knew he was free. She would talk his ear off about her acting parts, and people, and all that nonsense, but he then he went and picked a fight, and now she wouldn't answer his calls.

So he paced.

He was started to wear out the carpet of his company apartment, but he didn't care. He was too busy thinking over what he had done. The last time they had talked was only minutes after her first episode of _The Shogun's Fall_ had finished airing. Of course she had told him about the part and the show and filming it. What she hadn't told him, though, was that she would be acting opposite that talentless actor, Tsuruga Ren. The first time he called she didn't answer, so he called again. He'd had to call three times before she finally picked up, which pissed him off. No one made him wait.

"Moshi moshi," She answered.

"What the hell took you so long to answer?" he snapped.

"I was in the middle of filming the drama I told you about. What is your problem, Sho?"

"Filming, huh? With that brainless, two-bit actor, Tsuruga?"

"Don't call him that. You don't know him. Why are you in such a bad mood?" Kyoko was mad that he had insulted the man she was becoming very friendly with. They were halfway through filming already, and he had often given her advice about acting and professionalism, all of which she took to heart. Watching him act awed and inspired her; he gave her new standards to reach for, and she respected him far too much to listen to Sho insult him like a whiny little brat.

"You're defending him now? Six months ago you were saying that about him. You were the one who called him said that he has a small head. What happened? Did you fall for him like every other woman in Japan?"

"Sho you're being immature. I have a great deal of respect for Tsuruga-san as an actor and I regret saying such rude things about him, but that was before I knew him. Now that I do, though, I don't want you to say that."

Sho scoffed, "Whatever, I don't care; I'll say whatever I want to about the hack actor. So why didn't you tell me you were working with him?"

Kyoko let out an angry sigh. "I didn't say anything because I knew you'd react like this and I didn't want to deal with it. I have to get back to the set. I have a scene to do."

"Fine, go back to the small-headed moron," Sho growled.

"Sho, just _shut up_," she said, and hung up, leaving Sho to almost immediately regret pissing her off.

Now after two weeks waiting for her to call, he was realizing that he would have to be the one to bow his head and apologize. It would have to wait though, since he was going on a short national tour to promote the new single. He wouldn't be back for over a month. It was good to have an excuse to put it off, though: he would need to prepare for the blow to his ego before he could apologize to Kyoko.

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><p><strong>an: Hey all my wonderful readers. After the hell that was chapter 5, I was rather happy writing this cutesy little chapter. I hope you like this very slow, uneventful update. **

**About the overview of the filming of _The Shogun's Fall_, just trust me when I say that Kyoko now respects Ren,and Ren had grown rather fond of her. It is a sempai-kohai thing now. Because of the lack of initial hatred from Ren which made Kyoko fear him for like ever, she trusts him more than in the manga, and is already friendly with him. And because she didn't lose love, well, let's just say that some things are possible.  
><strong>

**Thank you so much for reading and reviewing as always! cheers!**


	7. Chapter 7

Too Good to be True to Me 7

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Skip Beat! not that it stops me from coming up with a bunch of random plot lines using it's characters.

**A/n: just to let you know, this chapter took a while cuz I had to do a lot of research. research= rereading several sections of the manga. I will admit I cheated a lot of this chapter by using situations actually from the manga, but I changed them just a little to fit this story (IE, removing hatred for Sho, and the like). If I were nice, I would cite the exact chapters, but as zeichnerinaga has pointed out several times, I'm mean. Enjoy anyway. Please review!**

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><p>Since most of the arrangements For Dark Moon had been done already, before they had found a Mio, most of the preparations Director Ogata had to do were just calling people and setting new dates. Due to this fact, there was a press conference held less than a week after Kyoko had taken the part.<p>

The press conference for Dark Moon was a much bigger event than Kyoko expected it to be. They asked her a lot of questions, since her casting took so long and was the reason the project was held up. They almost made it sound like her fault that she hadn't started acting earlier so the project could get moving. They also seemed to have very high expectations of the actress who finally met the standards for Mio.

Then, of course, the questions about the director's father ended the conference early.

The first day of filming was soon after, and Iizuka-san, the original Mio from Tsukigomori, grilled Kyoko about her knowledge of the character. She got all the questions right but one, but that still was enough for Iizuka-san to deem Kyoko inadequate and demand that she be replaced.

Kyoko didn't know what to do; the director had such high expectations, and she had failed already. She was frantically trying to find the answer as to why Mio would hate Mizuki so that the director wouldn't fire her, when Ren defended her.

"Iizuka-san, please let me speak. We don't have time to let you find a new actress to play Mio who can satisfy you."

She looked slightly nervous and very defensive as she said, "Well, that may be true. However . . ."

Ren continued, "Iizuka-san, please, give her a little more time. Don't worry. The Mio this girl will bring will definitely satisfy you. I give you my word."

Everyone was very shocked by Ren's declaration, Kyoko especially. She had no idea why he had so much faith in her. They had only worked together once, how would he know if she was capable?

If she weren't freaking out so much, she might have thought about that more. Instead she just listened as he told her that since she pitied Mio, she would be able to figure out the answer and then left to think.

While completely ignoring Yashiro who had shown up after that debacle, she thought through her idea of Mio's personality again. She was sure that Ren knew the answer, which made her feel ashamed that he knew more about her character than she did, but she didn't blame him for not telling her. It was her fault it was like this anyway.

She started comparing Mio's upbringing to her own; it was very similar. Both were not good enough for their parents, and so were hated. The only thing that kept her from ending up like Mio was that she had a friend; no matter how rude and arrogant he was, Sho had always been her friend growing up, and had saved her from being totally alone even when he didn't know how to help. That was why she put up with his antics, although after that fight they still hadn't spoken.

Thinking past that, she went back to thinking that Mio was very gloomy. Mizuki had also had a very bad childhood, but she was still able to smile. That's when it clicked. That was why Mio hated Mizuki: because Mio compares herself to Mizuki for not being strong enough to be happy after what she'd been through.

But if that is the case, then Mio couldn't really be shy, could she? After all, if she didn't want to feel inferior, shyness doesn't really match.

Kyoko looked at her reflection in the water of the fountain she was sitting on, and then suddenly she saw the scar and she knew. She had found her Mio.

After causing a good deal of drama by running away and changing her hairstyle, the Director loved the Mio she had created. Finally, the filming could run smoothly.

Filming ended rather late since they had gotten a late start. It was around seven in the evening when the Director called the final scene for the day.

"Tsuruga-san!"

Ren turned to the girl who and called him and smiled warmly. "Yes, Mogami-san?"

Finally catching up to him and standing in front of him, Kyoko smiled gratefully and said, "I wanted to thank you for how very much you've helped me today. I apologized to everyone before for running away, but I really am sorry to have endangered your reputation with my unprofessionalism."

Ren looked at her speculatively as she bowed as far as she could go.

"Well Mogami-san, I suppose since you returned with a suitable Mio and won't be causing anymore problems, I suppose I can forgive you. But I hope you realize that if you had failed at this that your career would have been ruined. It has been widely publicized that you were the actress finally chosen to play Mio, and if you were suddenly dropped no one would have faith in you." He said it gently, but he was still scolding her.

Kyoko blushed and covered her mouth in shame. "I know, and that's why I have to thank you for what you did today, and how much you helped me."

Ren smiled. She was a very earnest person, that's why he had known that she would come back. If he didn't let her try to pay him back, she would keep feeling guilty and it would make their friendship awkward. He wondered for a moment at how well he was starting to understand this girl.

"Alright Mogami-san. If you want to thank me, why don't you accompany me to dinner?" Ren realized only after he asked that it sounded like he was asking out on a date his co-star, who happened to be sixteen and in high school.

Kyoko paused, and then counter-offered, "Tsuruga-san, I would feel better if you would allow me to make you a home-cooked meal. I would feel more like I was actually doing something."

Still surprised at his own proposal, he accepted hers, telling her that he would love if she cooked him a meal, although they would first need to buy all the ingredients, since he had nothing at home.

Forty minutes saw them each carrying a grocery bag into his clean, spacious apartment. Kyoko glanced around before setting down the groceries and starting to prep the meal.

Ren helped by finding her the equipment she needed and by washing vegetables. He admitted that anything else was far beyond his comprehension, but that was fine with Kyoko, since she was doing this to repay him anyway.

They chatted amiably about Dark Moon, the original Tsukigomori, and their co-workers, especially the director. Kyoko felt so bad for worrying him, since it was because they found her that they could finally start production, and then to act so carelessly was terribly thoughtless of her. That's how she explained it to Ren.

"If you feel so guilty, why didn't you try to make it up to him like you're doing for me?" Ren asked.

"Well, I did, but Director Ogata insisted that as long as I give Dark Moon my all to make it a success I will have made it up to him. In fact, I couldn't believe it but he thanked _me_ for inspiring him! He said that I was bringing fire back to a project that had been gathering dust as it waited. It's very sweet of him to say so, but I'm not sure I can live up to all these expectations."

Ren frowned because he knew that she wasn't just being humble; she actually believed that she wasn't good enough. He wondered how someone who wanted to be famous could have such a low opinion of themselves. He didn't like inflated egos, but he did respect having a degree of confidence.

The meal was ready soon. Halfway through, Kyoko's phone rang. Ren told her that it was alright to answer, since it might be important. She rushed to get the small flip phone before it stopped ringing, and in her rush, she dropped a small, shiny blue stone onto the floor. Only after she checked that it was alright did she answer the still ringing phone.

While Kyoko greeted Matsushima, Ren stared at the crystal-like rock in her hand. He couldn't get an image out of his head: the image of the rock changing color as it had fallen to the ground.

Suddenly, he knew why Kyoko was so familiar, why he felt like he'd known her longer than he had, and why he felt so comfortable with her. It was because they had met before, in a clearing in Kyoto, ten years ago when he was on vacation with his family. He had met a crying little girl and tried to cheer her up by letting her think that he was a fairy named 'Corn.' And he gave her that stone to take all her sadness away when he left. He had never thought that he would meet her again.

He was relieved when she left the room to discuss whatever work Matsushima had for her. He didn't know what to do now. He couldn't tell anyone his past, even to tell her that he was Corn, because that would lead to the fact that his real name was Hizuri Kuon. Besides, he didn't want to ruin her dreams by telling her that her 'fairy' had turned into something horrible. The watch on his wrist suddenly felt tighter.

Kyoko returned to the room, and Ren managed to act like nothing was bothering him, asking what Matsushima needed.

Kyoko smiled a bit, playing with her stone, "Well he called about a new role for me. It doesn't start until December though, so for now I can still focus on Dark Moon and school."

"Are you upset about something?" The way she was squeezing the stone meant there had to be something wrong if she still used it to get rid of her sadness.

"Not upset, just kind of nervous. The role is a bully role, and I'm just afraid of being typecast. What if people start thinking I'm only suited to play the bad guys?"

Ren tried to reassure her, "Mogami-san, with your talent for acting, I'm sure that you will be able to give a unique spin to each character you play no matter whether they are protagonist or antagonist. And you should accept as many roles as you possibly can to build up your experience. It is more impressive to make similar seeming roles each stand out and become individual."

Kyoko looked at him with a very innocent and hopeful expression. After making sure he was serious, she smiled and thanked him very much for the advice.

Ren sighed in relief. Thank goodness that his father said that same speech all the time when he was growing up claiming he wanted to be an actor. It had not only helped his own career, but it would now help Kyoko.

Ren still felt tense, seeing that stone. He had to bring it up, and clear the air of the tension. So he asked her what it was, as if he didn't know, and where she had gotten it from, as if he hadn't given it to her.

Kyoko's eyes lit up and she went into LaLa land. "A boy, Corn, gave it to me when I was small. He said it would take away my sadness when I held it up to the light and it changed color. Do you want to know a secret?"

Ren agreed, and Kyoko leaned forward and told him, "Corn was actually the prince of the world of fairies."

Ren held back a shocked laugh for a minute, but couldn't do it for long, and laughed loudly and excessively, offending Kyoko very much. She sulked and defended her friend, and Ren apologized several times before forgiving him.

He just couldn't believe that she still believed he was a fairy. He definitely couldn't tell her now. She'd hate him for lying.

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><p><strong>I know that you guys are probably used to waiting for updates, and I've been trying to get them out every day or two, but from now on updates are going to be taking longer, for a couple of reasons. First being that I have a couple of extensive assignments to finish before school. Second, my tennis practices and then school will be starting soon. Don't worry, I won't give up this story, but you will just have to anticipate more. According to my (usually incorrect) predictions, this should only be about... three more chapters? And maybe an epilogue. Oh, yeah definitely an epilogue. Anyway. ILY! Review plz! Cheers.<br>**


	8. Chapter 8

Too Good to be True to Me 8

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><p>Four weeks into the filming of Dark Moon, Kyoko was standing near Director Ogata watching the playback of a scene that pitted Mizuki against Misao. She had become very comfortable with her co-stars, and loved coming to film. She was happier now the she was acting than she had ever been in her life. It felt good to do something for herself for a change.<p>

That line of thought reminded her of the person she had always slaved for. She hadn't heard from him in about two months. It was longer than she had ever gone without talking to him. It was strange that she didn't think of him more often.

Just then an excited squeal was heard from near the entrance to the studio. Everyone turned to see what was going on, except for the director, who was still engrossed in the scene. Since it was a fan-girl scream, most figured that a new stage hand had seen Ren come in, early as usual. But then a stage hand that had been a part of the project since the beginning walked towards the set, barely containing another squeal as she led the real reason for her outburst towards Kyoko.

Fuwa Sho had returned from tour just the day before. After a very long sleep, he decided that he had to deal with Kyoko. She had been constantly at the back of his mind while he was on tour. He was sick of not hearing from her. Everyone else had this image of him that prevented him from eating his favorite pudding or watching variety shows, or even laughing. He missed how he could be himself with her. And he missed her.

So there he was in the studio where Shoko had found she would be filming in. The stage hand's squeal was a good ego boost when he was walking in to bow his head in apology and do something else he never thought he would do.

He found Kyoko standing next to a very fragile looking man who was staring intensely at a screen. She was obviously very surprised when he walked in. It wasn't a happy surprised, so he guessed that she was still mad at him for insulting the pin-head. He got mad again as he remembered that this drama was starring him as well.

_Why does she keep ending up working with that two-bit actor?_ He got himself back under control. He couldn't tell her how jealous and betrayed he felt. It was embarrassing to be jealous of Tsuruga for working with her, and even more embarrassing to feel betrayed by her just because she was working with the man he hated losing to.

Sho reached Kyoko quickly, taking long strides to get to her before he was surrounded by the many women on the set. She was still surprised at his sudden appearance when he stopped in front of her.

"Sho," she said, "What are you doing here?"

He looked around quickly. Almost everyone on set was looking at them and whispering, and some girls were loudly wondering how Kyoko knew the famous musician. "Is there somewhere we could talk alone?" he asked.

"Um, sure, we can go to my dressing room. Hold on." She called the director's attention away from the playback, and asked if she was needed for the next scene. After she was given a negative she told the director that she had to talk to a friend, and she would be back in a few minutes. He nodded and went to speak to the actresses who played Mizuki and Misao to discuss things that needed to be redone in their scene.

Kyoko led Sho to her small dressing room, wondering about his reason for being there. When they were alone, she asked, "How have you been keeping?"

"Fine. I just got back from tour yesterday. We were all over the country for a month."

"I'm surprised you're out and about already. It's not even noon. I would've thought that you'd sleep all today."

He was reminded of exactly how well she knew all of his faults. He wasn't sure if it was a good thing, considering the reason he had come.

"Well," he said, "I have something important to do that's been delayed too long already."

Kyoko tilted her head in curiosity. "Then what are you doing here?"

Sho sighed. She was still as dense as ever. He would have to say it as clearly as possible to make her understand. "The important thing I have to do is apologize to you."

Her eyes widened. She had never seen Sho apologize to anyone before in his life, especially to her. She had accepted his abuse for years and forgiven him. What did he think he had to apologize for now?

He gritted his teeth and continued, "I know it was a while ago, but the last time we talked I made you mad. I'm sorry for that."

Kyoko was shocked. She was used to his tantrums, and had gotten over her anger almost immediately after they had spoken. The only reason she hadn't called him in the weeks after was because she was getting so busy. She told him so.

He was relieved. He had been nervous that she wouldn't forgive him. Now he could move on to the part he was confident about. He had thought considerably about it, and had made his decision after seeing Kyoko on the cover of a popular teen magazine as the best new actress of the year.

"Well, I'm glad you're not mad. But there's something else I wanted to say."

He smirked lightly and leaned forward until his face was a few inches from hers. She froze and blushed, and he moved a stray piece of her hair, putting it behind her ear. His smirk grew into the smile she used to know from their childhood, sweet and sincere, and he said what she had dreamed of for years of her life.

"Kyoko, would you go out with me?"

He had no doubt that she would say yes. She had, after all, liked him for years, he knew. Besides, women just don't say no to him. He was Fuwa Sho.

But of course, she didn't understand. "What?"

He sighed. How typical of her. He tried again. He grabbed her hand and kissed it gallantly. "I'm asking you to be my girlfriend."

She stared at him, and slowly repeated, "Your girlfriend?" He smiled and nodded, waiting for her to say yes.

Her mind was racing. She had wanted him to love her for years, and while he hadn't said he loved her, she knew that as a rule, Sho never dated exclusively. It meant something, what he was asking. It definitely meant _something_.

She didn't love him anymore. Since that was the case, could she still say yes anyway? Would that be lying? She didn't want to toy with him, he was her oldest friend.

On the other hand, finding something she loved, acting, and having new friends had taught her to be just a little selfish sometimes. It wasn't something she made a habit of, but when the boy she had dreamed about for most of her life asked her out, she didn't want to say no. She wanted to find out what I felt like to be loved back.

She gave him the only answer that she knew how to give him. _Yes_.

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><p><strong>an: yeah, I know I promised to update like a week ago, but I kept forgetting to write. sorry. And then I give you this short chapter. but who cares about the length, CAN YOU BELIEVE WHAT YOU JUST READ?_ ? ? ? Did I really just let Sho win? ? ? ?_ I suppose you'll find out in the next chapter, won't you?**

**Personally I love this chapter because it's finally bringing the story where I intended it to go, and all my inspiration just came flowing back. But I need to know if YOU liked it. So REVIEW! Cheers.**


	9. Chapter 9

Too Good to be True to Me 9

This shit has been **disclaim**ed

IntelligentAirhead, you asked where Ren was when you need him. Well, here he was.

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><p>When Ren arrived on set, there was a buzz of commotion and whispering. No one seemed to be working except the director. He was talking to Momose and Oohara, the actresses who played Mizuki and Misao, but they were distracted as well. He looked around for Kyoko, who he knew should be on set at the time. He didn't see her nearby, but he heard her name in the whispers, and he started to worry.<p>

He approached the director, who was in the middle of saying, "What this scene needs is another character to set off the tension. I think we should have Mio hint at the relationship between Mizuki and Katsuki, which would infuriate Misao, and put Mizuki on the defensive." Ogata looked around him. "Is Kyouko-san not back yet?"

Momose shook her head, "No, Director, they're still talking in her dressing room, it seems."

Ren stepped up, confused and concerned. "They? What's going on?"

Ogata looked relieved to see Ren. "Ah, Tsuruga-kun. Kyouko-san is speaking with her friend in her dressing room. Could you go see if they're done, and tell Kyouko-san that I do actually need her for the next scene?"

Ren accepted the task, and headed over to the dressing room Kyoko used. As he approached he heard a male voice speaking, but he couldn't make out what it had said. For some reason, the thought of Kyoko alone talking to another man made him walk faster.

As he entered earshot, he heard Kyoko ask blankly, "What?"

The male voice responded, "I'm asking you to be my girlfriend."

Ren's heart stopped. Emotions were rushing through him before he could identify them, before settling on fear, bone-chilling fear.

"Your girlfriend?" Kyoko repeated. There was no verbal response as both men nervously awaited her answer. There was a pause, while Ren anxiously thought, _say no, say no, say no_.

"Yes, Sho."

A cheerful male laugh was heard from inside the dressing room while Ren suddenly and forcefully came to terms with his own feelings.

His life, he found, was a series of cruel ironies. His parents were famous and successful in the industry he had chosen, but it only held him back. He was desired by many women, all of whom would eventually dump him because he lacked true feelings for them. He had found a true, supportive friend in Rick only to become the cause of his death.

And now, he realized he was in love with a girl only to be too late to act on it. What was more, he had befriended her when he was a child, but couldn't tell her about it for fear of her hatred and rejection.

The boy, whose name Ren had recognized as the friend Kyoko sometimes mentioned, was saying something about a date, but he couldn't take it anymore. His jealousy and bitterness drove him to interrupt them. He knocked loudly, and opened the door. Kyoko looked up, blushing and worrying.

"Tsuruga-san! I'm sorry, am I needed on set? The director said I wouldn't be needed for the next scene."

"It's alright Mogami-san, the director just made the decision to change the scene, so he asked me to see if you were done here," Ren said, ignoring Sho, and smiling brightly. It pissed Sho off, and scared Kyoko, who immediately said an awkward good bye to her new boyfriend and walked away with Ren.

As they walked away, Sho heard her saying, "Tsuruga-san, I'm so sorry that you had to come fetch me, it was unprofessional of me to be handling personal business at work-"

Ren cut her off and began reassuring her that no one minded and that she hadn't held up the shoot. It bugged Sho that those two were so close, but then he remembered that Kyoko had agreed to go out with him, and his scowl changed into a smirk of triumph. He considered waiting there for her to finish filming, but his cell phone rang. An angry Shoko told him that he was taking too long, and they had an interview to get to. He was in too good a mood to argue, so he conceded and headed down to where Shoko waited in her car.

Thirty minutes later, after Ogata had explained the scene changes, they were trying to go through it for the second time, but Kyoko still couldn't get into character. She was flustered and distracted, and occasionally blushed, which was very non-Mio-like. Ogata called Kyoko to the side.

"Kyouko-san, you are very distracted. In this part, Mio should be very bitter, and is sadistically trying to cause trouble by hinting to Misao about Mizuki and Katsuki. She must be cold and upright; you can't be blushing."

Kyoko bowed low. "I'm very sorry Director, if you would please allow me to retake the scene, I will try again."

"Of course. We will start from where Mio walks in," the director called to the set. Everyone prepared again, and Mizuki started the line the Mio was to walk in during and cut off. Unfortunately, Kyoko was still trying to calm down, and tripped by mistake.

The director sighed. He called for a five minute break, and told Kyoko to get a drink and clear her head. She tried to apologized, but he told her to gather her thoughts and come back ready to film the scene if she wanted to apologize.

A dark gloom was found in a corner by Ren, who had been looking for Kyoko. He looked down at her, and asked if she was alright.

"Tsuruga-san, I keep messing up the scene. I just can't seem to calm down and become Mio."

Ren looked down at her, and knew idle comforting wouldn't help her. With her personality, the best thing he could do, and what he did do, was to say, "Mogami-san, I realize you're upset about holding up filming. And honestly, it is unprofessional to allow personal matters to affect your work. You must put it out of your mind for the moment and do your job. Otherwise you can't be called an actress."

Kyoko looked up at Ren as if he was her savior. Knowing he had made his point, he held out a hand to help her off the floor, and said, "Well then, if you understand Mogami-san, I'm sure you can finish the scene." He pulled her up, and smiled at her. For just a moment she thought she saw pain in his eyes and felt his hand squeeze hers. But then he let her go, turned away, and the moment was gone, leaving her unsure if it had even happened.

The director was very happy with the next take of the scene.

Hours later, alone in his apartment, Ren had run out of his good scotch, but he was drunk enough to not care that he was drinking swill. Looking into the amber liquid in the glass, he considered his discovery.

He had taken a liking to Kyoko almost immediately after meeting her. She was just very lovable. She was caring and endearing. She was incredibly talented and modest. But he had only thought of her as a friend. When had that changed?

It had to be that night at dinner at his place, when he recognized her as Kyoko-chan from the clearing. Even though they hadn't known each other long, the memories of that little girl had helped him often through the years. But that wasn't why he loved her; he couldn't actually explain why. Maybe it had something to do with how strong she had become, while she was still innocent enough to believe in fairies and think in terms of fairy tales.

In any case, he loved her, and he was pissed at Fuwa for taking her.

He banged his head against the couch he sat in front of. Even if she wasn't with Fuwa, she was sixteen, still in high school, and he didn't deserve love. He never would. The watch on his wrist felt heavy, and it started dragging him down into his old darkness. He tried to keep his head above the sudden wave of misery and self-hatred.

He never would have acted on his feelings, no matter what the circumstances. He would have continued to form barriers between them to prevent his own potential happiness. He had no right to be happy. He would have to settle for being her colleague and friend, giving advice and scolding and being forced to eat.

Finishing the glass of cheap scotch, he headed towards his bed, which was, he thought at that moment, too big, too cold, and too empty.

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><p><strong>an,** yes yes, another short chapter, sorry. next one i hope should be longer. and maybe come faster? not sure. What it will be is about** Sho and Kyoko's first date. anticipate that**. oh, and anyone who remembers a few chaps ago, i said this would only be a few more chapters?** i'm a total liar**. i'm extending so it doesn't seem rushed. i'll do a new calculation of chaps to come, and let you know next update.


	10. Chapter 10

Too Good to be True to Me 10

a/n. WOOOO! keeping both my promises! Longer and coming to you faster! i'm awesome .

~I did those calculations… I couldn't figure it out, lol. There will definitely be **at least four more chapters**, probably more, but I'm **not sure**. Ha ha.

~ **rjifblue**, **he is a total creeper isnt he?** lol.

~OH! People have said that there's no reason to hate Sho in this fic yet. Um, yeah there is! In case ya'll missed it, he still **called her his maid** and **trashed her behind her back** and **worked her to the bone** and then **wasn't grateful for it**. Kyoko just didn't find out. So please, **go on hating** him.

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><p>It took almost a month before Sho and Kyoko could manage to find time off for their first date. It was mostly because of Sho's schedule. He was starting his new album, and only worked in the afternoons, while most of Kyoko's filming was during the day. Basically, when one was free, the other was busy, for four weeks straight, until Sho became impatient enough to tell his manager to clear an evening for him, and he would work in the studio in the morning instead. Everyone who knew his habits was shocked, and thought that there must really be something special about the girl who could get Fuwa Sho to wake up for a nine AM studio session.<p>

When Sho told Kyoko that he had found a day when they were both free, she didn't exactly jump for joy. She stated her happiness, and told him she was looking forward to it, which was true. It was, she thought, a second chance for Sho to be her prince charming. She just had to fall back in love with him. It should be easy enough, she thought, since she was in love with him once already.

Their date was in mid-September. The day before it, Kyoko went shopping with her reluctant friend, Kanae to find a nice outfit, since she had no clue what was appropriate for a dinner date. Kanae wisely explained the many benefits of a black cocktail dress.

"It can be dressy or casual enough for any restaurant you go to, the color doesn't clash with anything your date wears and it's flattering. You look great in it. Now let's get you a nice pair of heels to go with it. Pumps should work. After that we need to get you some good makeup, nothing too dramatic, we don't want you to look like a slut." Kyoko was in awe of her friend's wisdom.

The next day, Sho knocked on the door of the Darumaya to pick her up at 7:30. He had made a reservation for eight o'clock at a restaurant known for hosting celebrities. Therefore, there were always paparazzi nearby to see who was with whom and get the latest scoops. That was the idea; Sho loved being in the spotlight.

When she came down, Sho complimented her on her appearance. He wasn't just saying it; he really thought she looked beautiful. Her dress stopped just above the knee and had a modest neckline but hugged and flattered her modest curves. Her makeup was subtle but classy and made her look mature. Three inch heels brought her a little closer to his height.

He promised her guardians to have her back by eleven. The Okami smiled politely and wished them a good evening, but Taisho scowled. It wasn't his usual scowl, the one he wore every day, this expression made it clear even to the oblivious Kyoko that the Taisho absolutely hated Sho, who decided to get out of there quickly; Kyoko, bowing goodbye, followed him out.

The Okami turned to her husband and raised an accusing brow, silently asking why he had been so blatantly rude. He grunted, and said, "That boy is the reason Kyoko-chan didn't go to high school and worked like a slave last year."

His wife nodded empathetically, "I know, but it won't help if you're rude. We can only hope she changes her mind. Who knows, maybe someone better will catch her eye soon." She smiled as she imagined men chasing after cute little Kyoko-chan.

The drive to the restaurant was quiet. Kyoko didn't know what to say, and Sho made no attempt to start conversation. When they arrived, Kyoko thanked the driver, since she knew Sho wouldn't. He put her hand on the crook of his arm and escorted her into the restaurant. It was a French restaurant. Kyoko preferred Japanese food, but she understood why he would avoid traditional Japanese restaurants; they reminded him too much of home.

When they stepped in, Kyoko felt uncomfortable. She never liked people spending much on her, and they were in a very classy place. She made a mental note to thank Moko-san again, because for once in her life, she didn't feel under-dressed. However, when she looked at Sho, he didn't seem appropriately dressed. She hadn't really noticed before, but he was wearing a maroon button down shirt with black embroidery and the three top buttons undone, and black ripped jeans. The rips in his jeans worried her, but she couldn't do anything about them. Instead, she reached out and closed two of the buttons on the shirt.

Surprised at her sudden action, he shook her hand off. Kyoko blushed and apologized. He didn't feel it was necessary to tell her it was alright, leaving her to worry all the way to their table. When they were seated, she apologized again, and he said, "It's fine, damn."

Looking over the menu, Kyoko recognized several traditional French dishes since she had briefly studied foreign cooking over the years. She chose a familiar starter and main course, and Sho just ordered the same thing. He didn't understand the menu, and figured Kyoko had good taste.

Throughout the meal, Sho acted like his usual self. He talked about himself and the songs he was starting for his next album, trying to impress her. He reopened the two buttons she had closed. He gave her compliments that usually worked on women, but they instead made Kyoko feel awkward, and Sho didn't notice.

He was doing things that usually made women fall at his feet. What he didn't do what pay attention to Kyoko, otherwise he might have seen that she wasn't very happy. She kept up a smile, since she was an actress and wouldn't be caught frowning on a date. She was having second thoughts, and their main course hadn't even come yet.

First, she was flattered and hopeful since he had asked her out. Then he started treating her like any other bimbo he would hit on, and she felt uncomfortable and annoyed. She wondered if he even cared for her. Since he had made the first move, she had imagined that he must like her, maybe even love her. If he didn't, and he certainly wasn't acting like he cared for her any more than he ever had at that moment, why had he asked her to be his girlfriend? Maybe he just needed a girlfriend for convenience? That didn't make sense either, because he could get many prettier women, she knew, and being taken couldn't help his popularity. Most of his fans were women who fantasized about him. She got chills when she imagined what they would do to her if they knew she was dating Sho even though she didn't love him. Fangirls were nightmare-inducing creatures.

Either way, she was too modest to understand why she was there, to think that he loved her, or that she was suited to be a fake girlfriend if that's what he needed.

Kyoko listened to Sho talk about a song he was sure would top the charts, and wondered if she should try and contribute. She tried mentioning the number one song from that week, but he shut her down; he didn't want to hear her talk about the competition. She tried again later to try to talk about her own work, but he sulked at the mention of Ren's acting skills, so she stopped trying and just listened to him.

The worst part of the night was when they left. The press, having seen Japan's number one musician go in the restaurant with a date, had surrounded the place. With the benefit of one good picture of her when they entered, they had figured out that his date was the actress Kyouko, who was rapidly making a name for herself in the year's most popular drama, as well as her other notable roles that year.

When Sho and Kyoko walked out of the restaurant, they were surrounded by photographers and reporters asking questions about their relationship. Kyoko wanted to just say no comment, and let LME's PR handle the press later, but Sho grabbed her hand, and started answering their questions, while she forced a smile. Yes, they were dating, he said. They met during filming of his PV and kept in touch since then, he lied. He asked her out, he said. It was their first date, he answered.

"Kyouko, Kyouko! Why haven't you said anything?" One man asked from behind a camera.

She just smiled wider, and pulled at Sho. "Let's go," she said to him. The car had been waiting while Sho answered questions, and they then managed to get in. Once they door closed, cutting off the noise of the press, Kyoko dropped the smile and sighed.

Sho was basking in his fame, and didn't understand her reaction. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I've never been mobbed by the press before. It was horrible."

"Really? I like it. It means everyone wants to know what I'm doing."

"I know," she sighed again. The rest of the drive was fairly silent. Sho was happy, Kyoko was feeling disappointed. It hadn't been much of a first date.

When they arrived at the Darumaya, Sho walked her to the door. At the stoop, Kyoko started searching her purse for her key. When she found it, she looked up to say goodnight and quickly go inside, but found him staring at her with an intense look.

She blushed, and stammered, "Um, go-goodnight."

He lifted his hand to her face and ran his thumb gently along her cheekbone. Kyoko froze. She didn't move again until he moved his head down towards hers. As he leaned in to kiss her, she hurriedly leaned back, enough to almost make her fall. Her flailing arms caught the doorframe of the restaurant and she regained her balance. Sho watched with shock. _Why did she lean away?_

Kyoko took a deep breath, and said in a rush, "Um, Sho, maybe we should just stay friends."

Sho was surprised and annoyed. "Why?"

Nervously, Kyoko apologized, "I'm sorry Sho, and I'm flattered that you asked me out, but I can't figure out why you did. I mean, it's not like you were particularly interested in anything I had to say tonight. I thought maybe you liked me, but if not, then I would like for us to go back to being friends."

After she got that off her chest, she said goodnight again and unlocked the door. She opened it and was halfway in before Sho grabbed her hand. She looked back at him, to see him with a more desperate look on his face than she had ever seen.

"I'm the one who's sorry Kyoko. I was doing what I thought would make you happy, but I guess I was wrong. I do like you, Kyoko. I'll show you, if you'd give me another chance," he almost begged.

Kyoko was touched. She pulled her wrist out of his hand, in order to hold it. She gave his hand a squeeze, and agreed to give him another chance, as long as he treated her like Kyoko, not a woman he was trying to impress.

Sho's smile was soft, relieved. "Of course, Kyoko."

The next morning, a delivery was made to Kyoko right before she left to go to the set of Dark Moon. She went to the door to get it, and instead or a delivery boy she say a huge bouquet of moth orchids, with pearls and crystals decorating it. She thought it was beautiful, and started tearing up. On it was a note that read, _Kyoko, thank you for giving me a second chance. You won't regret it. Sho._ It wasn't sentimental or lovey-dovey. It was more of a declaration of his determination. But Kyoko thought it was better that way, more like him, less like he was hitting on her, more long-term. It was sweet.

After Sho left the florist, he went home to sleep more. He'd had to get up ridiculously early, so he could try to not catch attention, and because he knew that Kyoko went to work ridiculously early. No one should wake up and go to work at seven in the morning the way she did.

When he finally got up, Shoko picked him up and told him that before going to the recording studio, they had to go to Akatoki, to see the president.

They went straight up to President Sato's office. Shoko waited outside while Sho went in. Sato sat in his chair scowling over several tabloids, all of which featured Sho and Kyoko on the front page Sho noted with a smirk.

"Morining, President. And how are you?" Sho asked smugly.

"Fuwa, what the hell is this?" Sato asked angrily, gesturing at the photos. Sho noted the use of his family name with interest. The president was usually annoyingly nice to him, since he was the biggest star at Akatoki, and called him Sho.

"What's wrong? Not in a good mood? It's a good thing when your top star is on the cover of what looks like every tabloid published in Japan."

Sato glared again at the picture. "Not when he's seen with his new _girlfriend_, when he didn't inform our PR department. You do realize that you have a mostly female fanbase don't you?"

Sho smirked and responded archly, "Yes, as I'm sure you realize that Kyoko's popularity has just skyrocketed thanks to this coverage, and added to her already obvious talent and her growing reputation for professionalism within the industry, she is on her way to becoming a very big star. And you insulted and refused to hire her. That must hurt."

"Watch your mouth, Fuwa. I'm your boss."

"But you can't get rid of me. As I said earlier, I'm your main attraction, your biggest money maker, your most popular pop star. It's not my fault you judged Kyoko too quickly. It's not really good for business to judge like that you know."

The president was practically growling with anger. "Get out. If your next album isn't a huge success, I can and will fire you."

Sho laughed. "Don't worry, boss. It's going to be my best yet. I have something to sing about now."

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><p>I hope you all enjoyed akatoki's president getting pissed off and antagonized by Sho.<p>

School starts tomorrow... Someone kill me...

Anywho._** Review!**_ Cheers.


	11. Chapter 11

Too Good to be True to Me 11

A/n: This is a **mini/filler chapter** that I wrote to make myself feel better after a very overwhelming first day of school. The **next chapter with actual plot** will be along sometime soon hopefully**. Maybe this weekend… big maybe.**

~**leavesfallingup**, thanks for the compliment, but you can interfere any time. I love advice

~**IntelligentAirhead**, as funny as all of that sounds, I don't think it's going to happen. Sorry. I hope you keep reading anyway!

~**Iris Anthe**, you may be my new favorite person ever.

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><p>Everyone was talking about her, she could feel it. She knew that the press had been all over them last night, but she didn't think her colleagues would be so very interested. It was mortifying.<p>

She didn't think she was ever more grateful to a person than she was to Ren when he walked over to her, hiding in her corner on the set of _Dark Moon_, and stood in front of her, effectively blocking her from their stares.

"Tsuruga-san, good morning," Kyoko greeted, without much emotion. She was grateful, but the whole morning had left her weary.

"Good morning, Mogami-san. It appears that you had a rather good night as well," he said, without a bit of sharpness in his voice, anyone else would have thought. Kyoko on the other had could sense his anger and cringed slightly. Immediately, because of fear and force of habit, she apologized.

"I'm sorry Tsuruga-san, my actions have made me stand out too much," she bowed in guilt.

"Mogami-san, don't apologize for something like that," he said as he reigned in his emotions. He smiled more warmly at her, so she straightened up slightly nervously. She relaxed more as he continued talking.

"In the entertainment industry it is necessary to stand out. You can't be an actress if you are a wallflower. This is probably going to be good for your popularity," he admitted reluctantly.

"I suppose you're right," she hedged.

"Yes, I am. Besides, if you read any of these tabloids about you and Fuwa-san, you would see that not one of them has said anything bad about you. They are surprisingly complimentary."

"Really?"

"Yes. Look at this." He handed her the most popular tabloid, which had a huge picture of her standing arm-in-arm with Sho as they had exited the restaurant. The title read simply, "Fuwa Sho's new girlfriend?" She flinched slightly.

She started reading the article. It recounted how Fuwa had been seen entering the restaurant with an unknown date, to their surprise. They didn't recognize the beautiful woman at first, which was curious, because Fuwa was "known to be seen in public only with other celebrities." But then they had found that this was no exception, for it was soon discovered to be the "talented new starlet Kyouko on his arm." They described her as a "cute new actress known best for a not cute role: the supporting role of Mio in the year's most watched drama, _Dark Moon_." But, they pointed out, Kyouko, named "best new actress of the year" by teen magazines, has acted in several other popular features, most notably her guest appearance in _The Shogun's Fall_, starring Tsuruga Ren, and her starring role in the PV for Fuwa Sho's single, 'Be My Escape.' "Could that be where this hot new pair met, we wondered? According to Fuwa himself, yes! He answered some of our questions when they left the restaurant, and confirmed that it was in fact their first date, and that, prepare yourselves ladies, _he_ asked _her_ out. Kyouko made no comment, but both were smiling happily. Could this celebrity couple be meant to last?"

Kyoko blushed repeatedly at the descriptions of herself. It had been very dark when they went out the night before, so they must have seen her wrong, because otherwise they wouldn't describe her as beautiful.

Looking up for Ren, she found that he had wandered a few steps away to watch the filming. She stepped up to him, gave him back the tabloid and agreed softly, "Yes, that was surprisingly complimentary." Her experience with the president of Akatoki had shown her what people in this business thought of using connections to gain fame. Luckily, the newspapers seemed too interested in the romance of it all to make such judgments.

Ren didn't answer, just watched her blush. He could feel his anger rising again as he looked at the blush mirrored in the photo of her with Sho. He patted it down out of necessity; she could always tell when he was angry, which was bad since she was the only person who could make him passionate enough to be angry about anything. He was feeling more like he had at fifteen when he left his life as Kuon as a figment of the past.

_This girl is dangerous,_ he thought. _She makes me revert back to my old ways, and I can't let that happen. I swore to never hurt anyone ever again._

That afternoon Kyoko went to LME to see the president. He had called her on her company cell phone to personally ask her to meet and talk with him, so there was no way to refuse. After she called and told the couple at the Darumaya that she would be late, she headed to the president's office.

She was let in by the secretary, who handed her a large coat. Kyoko told the woman that she wasn't cold, but she insisted, saying it was "chilly in President Takarada's office today."

She understood when she walked into a frozen tundra, complete with penguins. She pulled on the coat, glad she wasn't wearing sandals. The president was sitting at his desk, which looked like an ice block, in a chair that was dripping with decorative icicles. In a long fur coat and hat, the president reminded her of Santa Claus.

"Um, good morning, President. Isn't it only September?"

Lory looked up from whatever he had been reading, and greeted her in his usual enthusiastic manner. "Ah, Mogami-kun, good morning! Of course it is September, but I just couldn't wait for the first snowfall. How is _Dark Moon_ going for you?"

"I think it's going very well. We're getting closer to topping _Tsukigomori_'s record with every episode, so Director Ogata is very excited. Everyone there is so talented, I'm honored to be a part of it."

"Don't be so modest, you're contributing to the ratings as well. Sit down, sit down, don't hang around by the door. We need to discuss something."

Once Kyoko was in the ice-coated seat in front of the ice-block-desk, she nervously asked, "Is it about this morning's tabloids, president?"

"Yes, Mogami-kun. But there is no need to look so scared, I'm not mad that you have a life. And as they say, all publicity is good publicity, especially when they say such nice things," he said, brandishing a copy of the paper Ren had made her read earlier that morning. "What I wanted to know is, you are aware that we have a very good Public Relations department here, are you not?"

Kyoko assured him that she was.

"Good. Then I would request that the next time you decide to start dating a fellow celebrity publicly, that you inform PR, or me, beforehand, so that they know how to answer the questions we've been getting all morning."

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry to have made trouble," she bowed repeatedly in her seat, "I didn't think of that, sir. It won't happen again."

"I hope you mean that forgetting to let PR know won't happen, not that you'll never date again. Because I am always a supporter of love, and would hate for any of my workers to forget love in favor of their jobs."

"Yes, of course, sir. I'm sorry, again, for causing trouble."

"It's no trouble, Mogami-kun, it happens all the time." Lory looked at her thoughtfully for a few moments. Kyoko, sensing that he didn't intend to say anything more, asked if that was all he had wanted.

"Are you in love with Fuwa Sho, Mogami-kun?"

Shocked at the sudden question, Kyoko blushed. She stammered a few nonsensical words before Lory cut her off.

"Mogami-kun, calm down. This question won't affect your job here, it won't leave this room, and it won't change my opinion of you. I would just like to know if you have real feelings for Fuwa-san, because your relationship will get a lot of scrutiny, and it will be difficult to deal with if you aren't invested."

Believing the president's excuses, and never having been the type to lie, Kyoko honestly answered, "Well, I used to up until maybe March of this year. We grew up together, and he was my only friend, so it could be expected that I would fall in love with him. But I thought it would never happen, so I gave up and the feelings sort of disappeared. When he asked me out, I said yes because I thought if he liked me then I should give him a chance, and maybe I could see what it was like to be loved in return. I believe that I may regain my old feelings for him eventually."

"So you don't love him now, but you're hoping you might again since he now has feelings for you?"

Kyoko nodded, embarrassed to admit to her, in her opinion, shallow and selfish feelings to her boss, but glad that he seemed to understand.

"That's no way to love, Mogami-kun. You should be with someone you feel passionate about. There may not be someone like that right now, but what if you find someone you really love, but you are still dating Fuwa? You would have a painful choice to make."

Kyoko could see the logic in his words, but didn't believe that even if she did find a passion for someone, that they would return it, so she thought she might as well stay with Sho. "Thank you for the advice, and the concern, President, it's very kind of you."

Disappointed that she didn't seem to be planning to follow his advice, he let her leave, wishing her a good day.

After she left, he mulled over the future with interest, hope, and impatient. _Ren_, he thought, _you have a chance to get her if you would just show her that you love her. He won't be supportive and selfless, and it will hurt her; are you really going to let that happen?_

He shook his head and looked out his office window. _These kids don't know what's good for them._

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><p>an: ah lory. he's a great character. like i said, this is just filler. it's not really mini though, since i've had chapters shorter than this... i don't know why i can't seem to write chapters much longer than 2k words... i hope you guys don't mind.

So i'm thinking about changing the summary, since i don't think it really explains the story well or sounds appealing to potential readers... any suggestions from my loyal readers and reviewers? cheers!_  
><em>


	12. Chapter 12

Too Good to Be True to Me 12

Sorry for the long wait. But I think you'll all like this chapter.

**Disclaimer: **especially important in this chapter since a good deal of it is verbatim from the manga. but don't skip through when you start feeling deja vu. Yes, you know how it's going to go, but it starts to change, and the events of this chapter are very important.

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><p>As Kyoko walked slowly through the halls of the studio, she smelled the tiger lily she held delicately. Its arrival this morning shouldn't have surprised her. Sho had been sending her a bouquet every morning. They were always different, always beautiful, and always made her smile at the sweetness of the gesture. They proved that Sho was truly trying in their relationship. But when the dozen tiger lilies had arrived earlier, they had only made her feel guilty and miserable, because ever since last night, she had forgotten entirely about the man who'd sent them, the man she was, according to every Japanese tabloid, happily dating.<p>

Kyoko and Sho had been on only two dates in the weeks since their first. Their second date was, as Sho said, a redo of the first. He took her to another fancy restaurant. He didn't change his appearance much, but he definitely did treat her better, talking to her, listening to her, not giving her compliments that made her uncomfortable, and not allowing the paparazzi to catch them as they entered and left. Their third date was a spur of the moment idea Sho had. He knew Kyoko had a day off, so he canceled his work for the day and brought her to an amusement park. Unfortunately, Kyoko hadn't thought she was famous enough to need a disguise, and when people there had recognized her, realizing at the same time that it was Sho with her, they had had to quickly leave after only a couple of hours. Kyoko had enjoyed spending the time with him, but she still wasn't falling in love with him. It felt like she was dating her brother. But she was patient. They had time.

After last night, she couldn't think like that.

Even if he knew now what it felt like to truly love someone, Ren still didn't know how to pull off the pivotal scene of Dark Moon, the scene in the Hongo's living room where Katsuki starts to realize his feelings for Mizuki. After realizing that he was in a similar position to Katsuki, he had asked Kyoko to help him rehearse with him at his apartment, hoping that trying to act with her would enable him to portray the complex emotions he couldn't reach. He'd had several NGs on the scene already, and he knew everyone involved was starting to worry. He himself was worried that if this continued the president would get involved. He didn't want to prove Lory right.

Kyoko had agreed to help him with good grace. She personally thought too much of him and too little of herself to think she would be of much assistance, but she would never turn down someone who asked for help.

When he'd brought her to his apartment, he explained that they wouldn't use the script, they would improvise.

"Like a Dark Moon imitation game," he said as they sat on his couch. Kyoko looked at him blankly. "Eh? Don't tell me that you're unable to act as Mizuki without the script?"

Kyoko replied in a huff, "Of course I can act! I can grasp Mizuki's character perfectly! I've liked her personality from the start. I'm worried about Tsuruga-san!"

"Hm?"

"Are you really alright? Playing this Dark Moon imitation game, acting out something that has nothing to do with the script, isn't it a bit pointless?"

"It's fine," he said, thinking about his feeling for her, "my Katsuki… It is enough."

Kyoko went to stand in the hallway outside, as he had decided the situation would be Mizuki visiting Katsuki, who had been absent from school for several days. She thought it was funny that he would give so much thought to a game. But when she rang the doorbell, and he gave her an NG, because she didn't do anything, she decided it wasn't a game but acting practice, as Ren's dedication to his craft filled Kyoko with renewed determination to succeed and improve as an actress. She didn't know that she was also feeling Ren with determination; he was determined to not to let his feelings for her, as Katsuki and himself, to show.

Kyoko rang the doorbell again. And again and again, as she imagined people outside "Katsuki's" home seeing her and the consequences of Mizuki's cousin Misao finding out. When Katsuki finally opened his door, he found Mizuki hiding several feet away, which shocked him so much that Mizuki feared that her presence was unwelcome. But then he smiled and said, "Don't startle me. What are you doing here?"

She didn't respond at first, but then said, "Err, that is, because Sensei hasn't come to school in so long, I was worried, so I came to visit you."

"Ahh," he smiled graciously, "Thank you. Sorry for the trouble I caused."

"N-not at all! Everyone is worried. You did not cause any trouble at all!"

He leaned against the doorframe, making sure they were visibly far apart, and innocently chatting. "Really?"

"Yes," she quickly assured him.

Kyoko only half heard his assurances of his improved health as she quickly tried to think of a way to get in his apartment and out of view of her imagined passerby. But she heard it when he said clearly and bluntly, "You can go now."

_Eh?_

"Then that's it, you can go now." He began to close the door, but she rushed forward in a panic and shoved her foot in the door. "Sensei, aren't you hungry? You've been lying in bed all day. Doesn't that mean... you haven't… eaten… anything…"

Ren panicked as Kyoko fainted from the force of her collision into the door.

After he'd gotten her up, she practically floated into his apartment, Kyoko proud of herself for getting to the next level of the acting exercise, Mizuki glad to see somewhat into Katsuki's world. Ren internally rolled his eyes at the lengths the girl went to.

He got the first aid kit from his gym, and returned to bandage her ankle, which had gotten grazed when she'd used it to stop his door. She commented on his home, and asked if she could see the rest of it.

"When I'm done fixing your would, you have to leave right away."

"EH?"

"'Eh' won't do you any good. There are school rules that restrict a teacher and student from meeting outside of class. Next time you want to visit me, bring the whole class."

Kyoko was again panicking to find a solution to his obstacles while he went to clean her wound. Suddenly, she pulled her leg back, refusing to let him treat her unless she could cook him a meal. His response was to begin pushing her out the door.

"No! It was a joke Sensei! I can't hold the pain! Please treat me here!" she begged.

"Fine then," he said reasonably. "Then when I'm done will you go obediently back?"

After stubbornly holding out for another minute, she said, "I know what Sensei is saying. I am a single female student… going into Sensei's apartment for a long time and not coming out. Of course it might cause some disturbing rumors about Sensei."

He didn't respond. She continued, "But… what if I wasn't here as a student?" She tilted her head sweetly in question.

Katsuki was confused, worried about her meaning. "Huh?"

"That is to say," she said shyly, "as a relative?"

_What is this girl saying?_

"Ah, you might scold me for saying something so shameless, but I think I am sort of your relative? Because Sensei, you will someday become part of the Hongo family, right?" she hesitated, "If you marry Misao-san…"

Suddenly, Ren felt a stabbing pain in his chest. He didn't know if it came from him or Katsuki.

"That means, Sensei is like my family."

_Pain_.

"In the Hongo family I am usually treated like a servant anyway…"

_Stab_.

"So just think of it as though I was sent to look after you, on behalf of Misao-san…"

_Pain._

"Is that okay?"

_Why am I hurt that this girl has clearly stated the status of my relationships with other women? Is it because of Katsuki… Or me?_

"Sensei, are you alright?"

He explained away his pained look as a longing to see Misao, which she saw right through, and then he continued on about not wanting misunderstandings. In the middle of a sentence he wobbled, and had to lean against the wall for support. "Sensei!"

"It's fine, it's nothing. I just feel a little dizzy."

She looked at his face, and thought he looked very feverish. "Sensei, is what you said before about your temperature returning to normal a lie?"

He tried to deny it, but she insisted that he eat the food she would make for him as proof that he's better. She took his hand in both of hers, and he finally agreed.

She took him to his bedroom. His bed was bigger than any she had ever seen, but she disguised her surprise, as she believed that Mizuki would have seen such when her family was alive. The covers were thrown back, as if he had jumped up from sleeping suddenly. When she realized how much Ren thought about his acting beforehand, she felt the difference in their acting. Whereas she just followed the situation to make it acceptable, he had depth, range of emotion, and forethought. She looked mortified and almost cried, but when Ren asked her what was wrong, she returned to her character, and told him that she was upset because she couldn't make congee.

Nevertheless, she went to the kitchen. She didn't know why Ren, who at that time was in the bedroom thinking about how her tears and the warmth of her hand had made him want to hold her, had believed such a poor excuse. When she arrived in his kitchen, which she had been in only once before to make dinner for him, she tried to remember where he kept everything. She found the pots and pans, found the small supply of food stuffs he had, and went searching for the cutlery.

She went to the cabinets where she remembered they were. Since she couldn't reach them, she placed a box on a chair and climbed up. The box began to wobble and she grabbed the handle of the cabinet for support. Unfortunately, she'd forgotten that Ren's cabinets opened downward, and Kyoko's perch on the box became even less stable. She screamed as she tried to stay upright on the tilting box, hanging onto the cabinet, from which several items fell, creating a racket that brought Ren running from his bedroom.

Almost immediately after he got there and Kyoko tried to explain her predicament, the box slipped from under her feet and she was going down. For a split second she visualized her demise, until she stopped falling, and realized that there was no pain.

Then she realized that she was on the floor, in Ren's arms. He had saved her like a fairy tale prince saved the princess. She could smell his very masculine scent. His arms were around her, his face right next to hers. She was surrounded by his presence. Her heart started beating faster, which confused her.

His mind was similarly occupied. He'd never held a girl who fit so perfectly in his arms. He had plenty of experience with women, but never before had a woman felt so wonderful to hold, never had a woman felt so lovely. He tightened his hold on her.

Her breath caught. _It feels good to be held by him. Wait, is he still acting? He must be._ For some reason, she was disappointed by that. "Um, Sensei, are you confused? I'm alright now, so you can let go…"

He did let go, but he didn't get off of her. Instead, he supported himself on his forearms, which were on either side of her head, and leaned back enough to look her in the eyes.

The look on his face reminded Kyoko of something. It took her a moment to remember, but she realized it was how Sho sometimes looked at her, but Ren's eyes were much more intense. Her already fast heartbeat sped up further, and the sound of it drowned out all thoughts of that boy, all thoughts of anything but the man in front of her.

One of Ren's hands adjusted its position so he could touch her lips. As he did so, he asked slowly, "Do you have any experience with kissing?" _He couldn't be asking that as Katsuki, could he? _She didn't think he was, or maybe she just hoped he wasn't.

Every fiber of his being prayed that her partner on tabloid covers hadn't gotten there yet. He felt sensationally happy and relieved when she said breathlessly, "No." So happy that he could kiss her. His eyes looked mischievous now, and Kyoko's eyes widened. Her breathing got faster.

"Would you like me to teach you?" Her heart and her breath both stopped. She looked stunned, but she was still looking into his eyes, not trying to push away, and entranced as he was, that was consent enough for him.

He leaned towards her with heavy lidded eyes, his fingers moving from her lips to hold her cheek, and she didn't stop him. Her eyes fluttered closed.

Their lips were centimeters apart when suddenly a loud ringtone went off and made Ren, who'd been so focused on Kyoko that he'd forgotten the world, jump. He quickly leaned up, and sat back away from her. Kyoko, whose eyes had snapped open at the noise, sat up and looked around in a daze.

"Oh, um, that's my phone…" She suddenly remembered that she was supposed to be Mizuki, and tried to cover up her mistake by saying, "Um, Sensei, I'm sorry I must answer my phone, but it's probably my Aunt, it may be important…" She trailed off in a crouched position about to get up when she noticed that Ren was laughing hysterically.

_Unbelievable! Usually I would forget myself while acting, but this is the first time I forgot all about acting! I guess that's what they mean by a man lost in love._

Kyoko tried to be mad as she watched him laugh. She tried to get angry that he would joke about such a subject as a girl's lips, and that he had confused her so much. But all she felt was sadness and a great deal of humiliation that she had allowed it to almost happen when it was a joke to him. So it was in a voice masked with pride to hide her baseless sadness that she asked, "Sensei, you were just making fun of me?"

He finally stopped laughing and looked at her. He saw her face, which was also masked with pride to seem angry in order to save her from the embarrassment of being disappointed by the situation, and knew that he had messed up. He had to make up an excuse quickly.

"Sorry, but it's punishment because you would not listen to your Sensei and go home. So I showed you how dangerous it is for a girl to come into a boy's bedroom. I was laughing because you look so confused."

Kyoko felt even more humiliated. She tried to remember that the words were directed at Mizuki from Katsuki, but it felt like Ren was speaking to her. She turned her head away, and said, "For someone who didn't even want me to enter his home, you pull dangerous stunts with students."

He stood up and began putting the items that had fallen from the cabinet back in their places. As he did it, he looked at her with hard eyes and said, "So sorry, but I'm not interested in doing anything to my students. Including today, I have never thought of wanting to kiss you. Go answer your phone, Hongo-san, before you miss your call."

It was Kyoko's turn to feel a stabbing pain in her chest at his cold words. Stiffly, trying not to think about her raging emotions while she was still around him, she walked over to her bag where she'd left it on the couch. She finally opened her flip phone and answered, "Moshi moshi."

Ren leaned his head in his hands, his elbows propped on the counter. _This is bad. I haven't lost so much control since I left America. This kind of behavior is characteristic of Kuon, not Ren. But I don't feel any of the anger from Kuon, none of his darkness. I know that one day I'm going to need to face my past. I can't do it alone._

He ran his hands through his hair and stood up as Lory's word from several days before echoed through his head.

"Ren, just because you started a new life doesn't mean you can forget your old one. You may think you can pretend it didn't exist, but your parents will never allow it and neither will I. Kuon will start to reappear eventually, because he is who you are, even if you pretend he isn't, so you must come to terms with yourself soon. Especially if you continue to get darker roles that test your limits. My only advice is this: everything becomes possible when you have the support of the person you love."

_If he's right, what can I do? She's not only sixteen, she's also attached._

It had been Sho that called. He had suddenly felt that it was urgent to call Kyoko. He got worried when she took so long to answer, but she claimed she couldn't find her phone.

"Was there something you wanted, Sho?" Kyoko didn't want to talk to Sho just then. She felt terrible. She'd never even kissed Sho, hadn't even had a thought of kissing him any time in the near future, and she'd almost given another man her first kiss, a man who had apparently been acting the whole time and would never think of kissing her. Despite his pain-inflicting words, Kyoko couldn't stop thinking about kissing Ren now. And every time she thought about it her heart pounded. She was afraid to think of the implications of that.

"How about a date with my girlfriend?" Sho replied, in a tone that said, 'wasn't it obvious?'

"Oh," the reminder made her feel worse, "When were you thinking?"

"Tomorrow?"

"I'm on the set of Dark Moon all day tomorrow."

Sho sighed angrily, which made her compare the maturity of Sho to Ren. Ren was undoubtedly more professional, had more respect for work, and always tried to accommodate others' schedules because he was aware of time constraints. Sho always just wanted things to work out when he wanted them to.

"The day after?"

"I have work then too."

"Ugh, it's so difficult to find time with you."

"I know. I'm sorry," Kyoko stared at her feet, hoping he wouldn't hear her lying, because she was secretly glad she wouldn't see him in the next couple of days. She definitely needed time to sort out her now tangled feelings.

"Yeah, well, I'll have Shoko call you later about finding time to go out. I have to get back in the recording booth, we've almost got this song right, and then I want you be the first to hear it, like old times."

She could hear the smile in his voice as he thought about his song. He was obviously proud of what he'd achieved. "I look forward to it," she said convincingly.

They hung up, and she walked back to the kitchen to find Ren, and hopefully say her goodbyes and escape. She found him pacing, his hair mussed like he'd been running his hands through it. She thought it was rather cute, and smiled gently at the sight. She wondered what he was worrying about.

He saw her standing in the kitchen door smiling at him. He thought she was beautiful.

_Fight for her, Kuon. She's worth it._

Kyoko tried to say hurried goodbyes after he had told her the acting exercise was over and he had his Katsuki down, but Ren insisted on driving her home. She couldn't really refuse him, and didn't really want to, since it was well past midnight in early November, and it was cold already.

The car rise was fairly silent, each deep in thought about their feelings toward each other. When Ren stopped in front of the Darumaya, he turned towards Kyoko, and smiled genuinely. She knew his genuine smile from his fake, work smile. The latter scared her, but the former was gorgeous. It captured her, and while she was caught, he leaned in and placed a quick kiss on her cheek. Kyoko raised her hand to her cheek, and her eyebrows almost to her hairline.

"Thank you very much for all your help tonight, Mogami-san. If tomorrow's filming is a success, it's all thanks to you."

Kyoko tried to deny credit to herself, but he cut her off, "And Mogami-san, I hope you don't mistake Katsuki's words to Mizuki as my feelings towards you. You are welcome in my home anytime." _And I think about kissing you every day._

"Well, thank you very much Tsuruga-san, but I couldn't impose on you like that all the time. Good night."

"Good night Mogami-san."

Kyoko went straight to bed, since she was exhausted, but sleep evaded her. She was too busy thinking about Tsuruga Ren.

When he'd almost kissed her, her eyes had closed, as if she wanted him to do it. Her heart had sped up as he'd looked at her. She knew he was attractive, but that became something totally different when he was lying on top of her.

Her mind was filled, consumed by him. While he was there, she couldn't think it, but alone in her room she had to admit it: she was in love with Ren.

They'd been friends, if she could be so bold as to think so, almost since she'd started in the industry, but it had definitely grown into something more for her. For him, she didn't know.

He'd said as Katsuki that he'd never thought about kissing her, but then he'd said not to mistake Katsuki's words as his feelings. But was he just referring to coming to his home? What was true? Surely he wouldn't want someone he didn't like in his home, but did he only see her as a friend?

And then he'd kissed her on the cheek. The place his lips had touched was hot. She touched the spot and closed her eyes. What had that meant? Who does that?

Her mind went in circles all night long.

In the morning the tiger lilies from Sho had arrived, his note saying that they had to make plans to see each other, reminding her that she had spent all night worrying about the wrong person. She should have been thinking about her actual boyfriend, but she'd forgotten about him entirely.

Now she was exhausted and felt like a terrible person. As a way to remind herself of her priorities, she took one of the lilies out of the bouquet and carried it with her to the studio, where she went early to get Mio's scar put on.

Needless to say, Ren's scene that day went perfectly, him making Mizuki act exactly the way he'd wanted her to.

Regardless or the lily she still held in her hand, as she watched Ren perform the scene finally without an NG, she thought, or rather hoped to think that such a deeply emotional scene had to be brought about by experiencing the emotions first hand, and since he'd asked her to practice with him, maybe he had feelings for her.

She tried again to suppress the feelings. Instead she forced herself to become angry at Ren, for messing with her feelings so much. It was a fairly effective shield for the moment, but she knew she would have to think of a better solution. Because Lory's prediction had come true, and she didn't know what to do.


	13. Chapter 13

Too Good to Be True to Me 13

**A/N:** I am SO SORRY this took so long! Sooo sorry! It just kept slipping my mind, and when I remembered I didn't feel like writing, and when I felt like writing I was always SO TIRED! Please forgive me?

~Again I tried to predict how long my story would be, and again I'm proving myself utterly wrong. The way I have it planned NOW (I rethink the whole thing after nearly every chapter) it's going to be anywhere between 20 or 30 chapters long in the end. Haha. I'm awful. You can hate me, but don't hate the story.

**Disclaimer**: have I mentioned that I don't own Skip Beat? I have? Oh, then I guess I don't have to keep repeating myself then.

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><p>"Onee-sama!"<p>

A little blonde girl crashed suddenly into Kyoko's stomach. "It's good to see you, too, Maria-chan," she intimated as she returned the hug happily.

"Onee-sama, I've been watching Dark Moon, You and Ren-sama are definitely the best actors on it. Your Mio is so scary and powerful, and Ren-sama's Katsuki is even better than the original, everyone says so!" Maria exclaimed.

Kyoko, who had just arrived in LME from school in order to pick up the script of her new drama, sat back on her haunches to be at eye level with Maria and said, "Is that so? I'll be sure to let him know. He's worked very hard on his character."

Yes, Kyoko knew very well how hard he'd worked on his Katsuki, and the results had been disastrous on her emotional welfare. It had been a month and a half since then, and although she tried to spend more time with Sho and less with Ren, the fates seemed to be against her. Her heart still pounded around Ren, and Sho still felt like her younger, less mature brother. But she wouldn't think of that now.

Maria nodded furiously. "Onee-sama, I haven't seen you in so long! When you first started in LME you would always go to your acting classes, so I could find you there, but you don't always show up now."

Kyoko frowned apologetically at the seven-year-old. "My schedule has gotten busier and less predictable lately."

"It's because of that guy isn't it?" Maria griped.

"Who do you…? Do you mean Sho?"

"Yeah! Why are you dating him, Onee-sama? He seems like an immature jerk from what I've heard about him," She huffed.

Maria's on point description of Kyoko's boyfriend made her giggle, and she agreed, "Yes, well between you and I, he is quite an immature jerk, Maria-chan. But he's not the only reason I've been busy, I've also been doing some commercials and other small works on the side."

Ignoring the second half of Kyoko's speech, Maria asked, "If you don't like him, why are you dating him?"

"I never said I didn't like him," Kyoko said, avoiding that train of thought and trying again to change the subject, "Maria-chan, it's getting close to the twenty-fourth, isn't it? Isn't that your birthday? Are you going to have a party? I can't imagine your grandfather missing any excuse to celebrate something."

Maria's entire demeanor shut down. Kyoko was without warning talking to a depressing stone statue of the smiling child from a moment before.

Maria answered Kyoko in a chillingly ominous voice, "I have long decided that I will not celebrate my birthday for life, because it is Mother's death anniversary."

Kyoko wanted to hit herself in the head with a rock. She couldn't believe the direction she'd led the conversation to caused Maria to look so miserable. She didn't know what to say to make it better.

"And," Maria continued, slowly and sadly, "maybe something bad would happen again, if I say I wish for anybody to come to my birthday party."

Kyoko's expression softened to one of sadness. _That means that Maria's mother's plane crash happened when she was hurrying home to celebrate Maria's birthday._ Kyoko had been told the story of Maria's mother's tragic death by the president some time ago. _Maria must hate her own birthday very much._

Inspiration struck. _If she doesn't want to celebrate her birthday… _

"Maria, listen to me. I really want to try something..."

The next day, around noon, Ren and Yashiro arrived on the set of Dark Moon. Kyoko was already there, in full makeup as usual. She had spent the entire time she was getting her Mio scar put on convincing herself to act normally, and begging her heart to stay calm. It was something she had to do. By the time he arrived, Kyoko thought she had worked up the courage to give the invitation to Ren.

"Happy Grateful Party?" He read in question.

Kyoko nodded, a little tightly. "It's a party to celebrate all the people Maria and I are grateful to for taking care of us this year."_ Act normal, act normal, he's just a friend, Yashiro is here too, act normal._

Ren looked down at her smile. Maybe he was imagining it, but he thought it seemed almost forced. "This party wouldn't be related to Maria's birthday would it?"

Kyoko looked down at her shoes, a bit chagrined that he had caught on so quickly to her motive, but pleased, for Maria's sake, that he understood. "It might," she hedged. _Can he always tell what I'm thinking? Oh, that would be terrible._

He grinned and looked down at the invitation again. "It's at the President's villa? Was it his idea?" Ren was a bit unhappy with that; he had liked to think that Kyoko had planned this on her own for Maria's sake.

His unease was relieved when Kyoko corrected him, "Oh, no it was my idea, but the president wanted to help. Maria and I told him that guests weren't allowed to help, but he insisted." Kyoko looked exhausted as she remembered the President's excessive enthusiasm, while wearing a pull Santa Claus suit. She refrained from mentioning Uncle Long-legs to Ren, in order to keep the conversation brief. On the plus side, it seemed he didn't always know what she was thinking. _Thank goodness._

Suddenly looking up as if remembering something she said, "Speaking of Maria, you will probably receive her invitation as well. I know you're a busy person, but if you could come even for a little while it would really make her happy."

Considering his schedule for a brief second before deciding to just let Yashiro deal with logistics, Ren said, "I'll probably have time to go."

Kyoko smiled with true elation. Maria would be so happy that he was going! Then again, should she be glad he was going? Based on pure emotion, she always wanted to be around him. However, that was an emotion she was trying to squash.

Her smile faltering as a familiar guilt washed over her, she began to feel uncomfortable again. Ren watched her smile switch from one of actual happiness back to a sweet, but fake and forced one. "Thank you," she said, "we'll be very happy to have you attend. If you'll excuse me, I have to go."

With her rushed goodbye she booked it. Ren and Yashiro were left to stare after her with bemusement on Yashiro's part and disappointment on Ren's. He had been afraid that she was avoiding him in the past month or so, basically since she had been at his apartment and he'd almost kissed her. It had relieved that worry when she had sought him out to give him the invitation. The worry came back full force as she ran away. Well, this new development won't be helpful in his quest to win her heart. Yet another irony of his life, just as he had resolved to open up to love, the object of that love shut him out. He sighed, and walked away from Yashiro, who was talking at him about Kyoko. That man never stopped nosing into Ren's love life.

Finally stopping when she was around a corner and out of sight, Kyoko breathed a sigh of relief. No matter how many resolutions she made to be formal with him, he just drew all of her emotions out of her. She was grateful for this project of hers and Maria's. It would serve as a welcome distraction from all her inner turmoil.

Maybe, she thought hopefully, in the excitement or the party she could have a normal conversation with him without her heart pounding. Maybe she would develop those feeling for Sho that she was waiting on. Maybe she would turn into a fairy and Corn would take her away to become his fairy princess. _Snort_. Yeah, like anything would work out the way she wanted it to.

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><p><strong>AN**: And now that I'm done, Im so sorry it's so short! nevertheless,** Review please**! Tell me what you think of this chapter, what you hope will happen during the party, etc. also, one time i told someone that natsu wouldnt come into the equation... guess who lied again! lol, me! never listen to what i say!

On that note, I'll say that I'll try to write another chapter this weekend. (refer to previous statement if I fail to uphold this)


	14. Chapter 14

Too Good to Be True to Me Chapter 14

**A/N:** Here is my Christmas present to you. I'm really sorry it took so long. I honestly meant to have this out on Thanksgiving break, and I got half of it done then, but I had two huge essays to write (One AP Prose essay on Medea by Euripedes, and one 600 words in French- I deserve mad props) so I could never finish it. After that I became infatuated by a new fandom- Teen Titans. Enough of my excuses- time for a plea:

**When I got my laptop a year ago, it never had a code-thingy for Microsoft Word (despite the fact that it was supposed to), so I only had a free trial to use it 25 times (I did all sorts of stuff to keep it going, like never closing files, re-saving a doc with new contents under a diff name, etc). Despite my best efforts, the free trial just ran out. If anyone knows how I could download Word for free and leaves me a review or a PM telling me how, I will love you forever. If not, I'll have to write on my family computer, and since my brother is constantly on there, I doubt that's gonna happen as quickly as any of us would like. So please, If anyone has any suggestions I'd greatly appreciate it.**

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><p>Kyoko and Maria finally stopped moving and stood side by side to admire their hard work. Granted, the construction crew that "Uncle Long Legs" had hired had done the bulk of the manual labor, but supervising was taxing, as they had discovered recently. There had only been a week between the idea for the Happy Grateful Party and the execution of it. That left a lot to do and very little time.<p>

Maria, who wasn't usually up so late, started to lean on Kyoko, but Kyoko was just as tired, if not more so than Maria, and both started to fall with twin shrieks bursting from their mouths. Landing on their respective rear ends, both sat in shock for a moment before bursting out in laughter. They remained seated, leaning back on their hands with their legs stretched out before them, as they reviewed the men carrying out their tools and leaving. They would be back in two days to take it all down.

Maria thought groggily that the decorations were perfect and sincerely hoped that the guests would have fun. Kyoko thought the same, with the added appreciation that the hectic planning had indeed distracted her from both Sho and Ren. She hadn't seen either since she'd invited them to the party. Sho told her that he thought the idea was stupid, but promised he'd come. She tried not to take it to heart; he thought everything was stupid.

Kyoko, dragging motivation from deep within her, stood and started to tell Maria that they should head to bed, since the party was the next day, but found the little blond had dozed off where she sat leaning against the leg of a clothed table. Smiling at the sweet picture, Kyoko lifted Maria's petite form and walked out of the room where the party would be hosted. She carried Maria to her room and put her to bed. Then she walked back out of the front door of the villa to find a car waiting for her to drive her home. Feeling spoiled as she had been all week, she picked up her pace to the car, and imagined she was a princess hosting a ball until she arrived at the Darumaya, thanked the driver, and fell into a deep sleep filled with Prince Charmings... Well, just the one.

A shell shocked group of guests shook off the confetti thrown on them while the horns played their final notes, and were more civilly greeted by a young girl in a suit. They were her guests, so they all cooed over how cute she looked in a fishtail braid and a bow tie. When they moved on, they were followed by Kyoko's best friend, Kotonami Kanae. Maria had met her when she had watched LME's acting classes, back when Kyoko attended every class.

"Mo! This is embarrassing! What is this?"

Maria politely answered, "It's a European continent royal court style greeting."

"Who's idea was that?" Kanae demanded.

"My grandfather's. It's like his hobby."

"Isn't he the president of LME? Oh yeah, I remember his dramatic entrance at the audition. It involved a lot of drums and dancers." She rolled her eyes at the memory.

Maria put on an innocent facade and sweetly asked, "Wasn't that the audition you failed?"

Kanae scowled at the unpleasant reminder and glared in the other direction. "Shut up."

Maria giggled. "Alright. I was going to offer to talk to my grandfather about giving you a chance to act for LME, but if you want me to shut up…"

Kanae whipped her head around so fast her hair hit her in the face. "Would you really do that?" Maria smiled genuinely at the hope in the aspiring actress's voice. It proved again how much she loved acting.

"Sure. You obviously have much more talent than most of the actresses on television now. I don't know why my grandfather failed you at the audition, but I can try to convince him that the best way for you to gain whatever you lack is through experience."

Kanae looked at the girl with wide eyes. She had a huge family but she had never seen a more articulate kid. Not wanting to miss the chance, she accepted, "I'd be very grateful if you would do that for me."

Maria smiled and grabbed Kanae's hand. "Good, we'll talk to him right now." Kanae's eyes widened with shock; she hadn't expected to have to talk to President Takarada so suddenly. She composed herself quickly though. The way she saw it, if Kyoko could talk to him normally all the time, so could she.

Despite his shock at being suddenly accosted by his granddaughter on such a subject at such a time, Lory could hardly argue with Maria's well formed arguments, or with Kotonami-kun's eager entreaties. Half an hour after arriving at the Happy Grateful Party, Kanae had a promise from Takarada Lory that first thing on the morning of December 26th he would sign her onto the company. He had certain terms, of course, but they would be worked out later, and she would accept anything to have this opportunity.

Leaning down to hug the blonde child who'd allowed her the chance to pursue her dreams, she said, "Maria-chan, I don't think I'll ever be able to thank you enough."

Maria grinned. She decided that she rather enjoyed making people happy. She hadn't done something nice like that since she could remember. Ever since her mother died, she'd wanted to drag people down with her. She preferred this very much. "It's alright; you don't really need to thank me. If you become a big star, you'll be entertaining me, so I think that is repayment enough." Maria thought for a moment. "I think onee-sama is going to be done in the kitchen by like nine. Sorry, but I have to go greet more guests. Enjoy the party!"

With that Maria skipped happily back to the door, leaving behind a very happy Kanae, who meandered over to the food. Two and a half hours later, she was horrified by how much she had eaten by the time Kyoko came out of the kitchen screaming her name.

The following conversation consisted of Kanae's anger, and Kyoko's apologies, much to the amusement of several observers. Finally sighing her forgiveness, Kanae mentioned something that had been bugging her for the past couple of hours.

"Kyoko, why isn't you boyfriend here?"

Kyoko stiffened just slightly, just enough for her best friend to notice, but tried to cover it with a smile, "Oh, he said he'd be coming later. He doesn't like coming to the beginning of parties, especially since I told him I'd be in the kitchen for the first couple of hours."

"Is that so?"

Kyoko nodded a little too much, "Yes. Actually he told me it was stupid for me to cater my own party, that I should be the one enjoying it after doing all the planning but I told him that the point of the party was to thank the guests for everything they've done for Maria-chan and me this year as well as to make Maria-chan not hate her birthday or blame herself for her mother's death so I just-"

"Kyoko! You're babbling. Did something happen between you and Fuwa?" Kanae asked suspiciously and crossed her arms, although her eyes betrayed her real concern.

Kyoko fidgeted as she said, "No, nothing happened between me and Sho."

Kanae tilted her head in thought. Had she imagined the stress on the word 'Sho?' "Then did something happen to you that made thinking about Sho uncomfortable?"

Kyoko's shoulders slumped. She had a very smart best friend. Although she had never been the kind of person to complain to her friends about her problems, that was only because she had had no friends besides Sho to complain to, and he never wanted to hear her 'whining.' Making a quick decision, she started tell Kanae everything, very quickly and concisely, until Kanae stopped her, sat them down in two chairs in a relatively secluded spot, and told her to continue slowly and with more detail. She did.

As Kanae listened, she realized, for perhaps the first time, that Kyoko wasn't a complete idiot. Inexperienced, yes. Naive, yes. But Kyoko was a complex person with a lot of old pain and very little self-worth. Kanae felt bad for the girl- her friend, she realized. Kanae really thought of Kyoko as her best friend, and felt rather protective of her, especially when things Kyoko mentioned hinted at Sho's very poor treatment of her, and her mother's abandonment.

The story flooded from Kyoko now. She had never told anyone so much about herself- she even mentioned her mother a couple of times when explaining her past with Sho; she couldn't stop the pain-filled winces every time she did, and she knew Kanae noticed them. When she got to explaining her new feelings for Ren, she hesitated, hedged and avoided, but a few well placed questions or reminders from Kanae brought out the real truth.

At the end of her tale, Kyoko blushed red and tried to apologize excessively for bothering Kanae with her problems, but her friend stopped her short with three words.

"You're an idiot."

Kyoko's eyes opened wide with hurt and confusion. Kanae continued brusquely. "Why would you date a guy because of a childhood infatuation? You're over it, you want someone else, who, judging by the way he's been staring at you from across the room since he arrived, obviously wants you too." Kyoko turned around, and her eyes were immediately met by a brown pair that most certainly were trained right on her. Kanae pulled Kyoko back around to listen to her finish. "Fuwa treated you like a servant all your lives. He obviously didn't appreciate you until you left him to become an actress, and even then he waited until you were famous enough to stand beside him. I hate guys like him, and he doesn't deserve how hard you've been trying to love him."

Watching Kyoko mull over her words, Kanae reigned in her anger. She couldn't believe she was giving romantic advice to a girl-friend. She had always thought herself destined for things better than traditional romance and marriage- namely acting and fame. Now watching as Kyoko once again looked back at Ren and blushed, doubted, and hoped, she thought that maybe she wouldn't be completely averse to a man's attentions. Even Ice Queens like her could get lonely.

Looking at Ren made Kyoko's heart pound. Kanae's words were harsh, but true- where they concerned her at least, and maybe even Sho. Sure she was trying in vain to love Sho, yes she wanted Ren. Yes Sho hadn't been very nice to her growing up, she knew that. She also knew that Sho had only shown interest after she had left and gained a small degree of fame- right after her 'Best new actress of the year' photo shoot. But Ren? Of course he didn't think of her that way. She wasn't pretty or smart or talented enough to attract a person like Ren's attention. She tried to tell Kanae as much, but was actually smacked in the head.

"Fuwa loves you, doesn't he? Do you think someone as arrogant as he would date someone ugly? As for your intelligence and talent, I can attest to those, and I can't stand idiots or people who act with no talent, so that should tell you enough."

Kyoko smiled gently at her friend. Kanae was truly the best friend she could ever had. Almost tearing up with emotions, Kyoko grabbed her for a hug. For once, she met no resistance.

Finally pulling back, Kyoko asked, "So what should I do? I don't think I could break up with someone."

Kanae rolled her eyes at the innocent teen. Caring so much for others' feelings would make her miserable someday. Wisely, she catered to Kyoko's unfortunately great hope to not inconvenience anyone as she pressed, "You have to. If you don't you'll just continue to string him along, keeping up his hopes, and wasting his time and money."

Kyoko stared down at her shoes. "Tonight?"

"As soon as possible. You don't love the guy do you?"

Kyoko sighed, "Not anymore, no."

"Then he shouldn't have false hope any longer. It's only fair."

Kyoko glanced once more at Ren. He had stopped staring at her in order to speak to Yashiro and Lory, but as if he could sense her gaze he turned back to her and smiled. The sight of his smile seemed to steel Kyoko's resolve, and she turned back to Kanae with eyes filled with a complex mix of emotion: sadness and regret for what she was about to do, love for Ren, hope that he loved her in return, trepidation forthe reaction of both men, but mostly Kanae saw Kyoko's gratitude for her friend's guidance. Kanae suspected that no one had ever supported or advised Kyoko on such issues before. she felt a bit proud that she was helpful to her friend. She knew she was right. But now it was all down to Kyoko.

The trumpeters once again erupted, and confetti was thrown onto a very disgruntled Fuwa Sho and his gorgeous manager. Kanae and Kyoko watched him angrily shake ribbons out of his hair.

"Don't you have something to do, Kyoko?" Kanae nudged her frozen best friend, who thawed and nervously nodded. "Do you want me to go with you?" she asked. This time Kyoko shook her head. Kanae had supported her enough, she had to do this on her own.

Kyoko stood straight, as she had been taught, and walked towards her boyfriend with all the elegance that his mother had instilled in her. He had been looking around for her, since she was the only reason he was here, but didn't see her coming his way, since she had been in a back corner of the room for their conversation she was coming from behind them. His manager immediately noticed his preoccupation, and observed in an only vaguely interested voice, "I never would have thought you would be so interested in one girl. Especially this girl, after everything you used to say about her."

"Shut up Shoko. Things change," Sho gruffly responded.

"Yes, things change," Shoko smiled knowingly. "Friends leave you and become famous, and you realize you might lose them."

"Shut up! I know, I wasn't very nice to her! Leave me alone!"

Shoko's eyes narrowed. This was something she had wanted to say since Sho had announce his intentions to ask Kyoko out. "Sho, it goes beyond not being very nice. You made Kyoko-san run away with you and made her into your- what was it you called her? Oh, yes, your maid. Sho, if she ever finds out about that, hell, even if she never does, how could you ever hope to make up for how you treated her?"

"Fine, so I called her my maid! It all turned out fine didn't it? She's happily acting, becoming famous because of me. So I don't see the problem-"

"Sho?" The sweet, quiet voice made him gasp. For a moment he hoped that she hadn't heard that conversation. He found the hope in vain when he turned and saw Kyoko with tear-filled eyes. _Shit_. "Kyoko, I-"

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked politely, trying to smile.

Looking guilty, Shoko quickly excused herself, and moved away from the two. She hadn't meant for Kyoko to overhear them. The girl was the sweetest thing she had ever met, and she didn't want to hurt her. That was why she had brought the subject up to Sho- she knew he had treated Kyoko horribly for at least as long as she had been assigned to him, and it made her mad that he could win the girl so easily with no retribution. She watched them sit at a table, both stiff and awkward, and knew that Sho would be getting his retribution tonight. There was no way to recover from that.

Kyoko was silent for so long that Sho finally couldn't take it anymore. "Kyoko please say something."

She looked up from the table cloth that had captured her attention for several minutes straight. Any sign of tears in her golden eyes was long since gone. She felt the betrayal deep within her heart, and knew that it would always hurt her severely. How could it not when she had just found out that her oldest, and for a long time her only, friend had betrayed her trust, abused her love, and used her as a maid? If she hadn't come over to break up with him, this would have made her do it anyway. She shuddered internally at how this revelation would have broken her if she was still in love with Sho.

She looked him in the eye and he looked back. The gold of her eyes looked cold to him.

"Sho," she clasped her hands in front of her and glanced down at them before hesitantly returning her eyes to meet his, "I'm not exactly sure how to say this-"

He cut her off, "Kyoko just let me explain. That wasn't what it sounded like, I, um, well..." He trailed off, unsure how to explain it without implicating himself.

"This isn't about you bringing me to Tokyo to be your maid. As much as that hurts, it did bring me to a life I love as an actress, so in a way I'm grateful for your selfish decision to bring me here." She ignored his wince and continued, "This is something I decided to do before I heard that. All that did was save me from the guilt."

Of course Sho knew what she meant' he could feel what was coming. A tension gripped the air between them as she waited to say the words. It went against her character to reject a person this way, they both knew that. His mouth dried, leaving him incapable of stopping her words. She parted her lips and the tension snapped, hitting him sharply in the face with her blunt declaration: "I want to break up."

He swallowed. After waiting a moment in vain for him to speak, she spared him the silence, and said gently, lightly placing her hand on his, "I'm sorry Sho. I tried, but I just don't love you the way I did when we left home. I've changed, and so have you." Sho stared at her dumbly as she threw the last blow. "I hope we can still be friends." That, he thought, was below the belt.

She stood up. She had nothing left to say. But he grabbed her hand. "Kyoko, I love you."

"I'm sorry Sho, I just can't return those feelings, and it would be unfair of me to string this along and take advantage of your feelings. You're welcome to stay and enjoy the party." She walked away, feeling lighter yet heavier. She no longer had the weight of being in an unhappy relationship, but now she had the guilt of ending it, making Sho unhappy, as well as the pain of his betrayal.

Sho sat at the table for twenty minutes trying to gather his feelings. He had never been dumped in his life. He had never had such strong feelings for a girl before. He had regrets, absolutely. He knew that if he had treated Kyoko like his friend, his equal, she would still love him. He also knew that he probably never would have realized that he loved her if he hadn't forced her to be in his PV. Not usually a believer in fate, even he had to concede that they weren't meant to be lovers. Just friends. He wondered if he could actually be her friend after this- not going back to degrading and using her, but actually being a friend to her. It would take a while to get over her, he knew it. Then all of a sudden, a melody flew through his mind. Seizing a napkin from the table and a pen from his pocket, he wrote down the chords before they disappeared. Just like that, he was writing his first breakup song, and completely forgot about the party around him.

Walking out to the entrance hall, Kyoko passed Shoko, who looked at her with concern. "Thank you," Kyoko mumbled to the woman, who nodded. She knew how hard, but important it was for her to know how Sho had thought of her. She also knew intuitively that the relationship between the girl and her charge was over. As Kyoko walked away, Shoko looked towards Sho and with a sigh started towards him.

As she reached the doors to exit the party, Kyoko looked around. She sought out the eyes that had been burned in her mind while she ended her relationship. They met hers in a heartbeat. He started to smile at her, until he realized how upset she looked. His brows contracted in concern, and he quickly excused himself from his conversation with Yashiro and started toward her. By the time he reached the door, she had left through it. He saw her turning a corner and followed. He found her waiting for him right around a corner.

"What's wrong?" he asked. She shook her head. He exhaled in vexation. "Tell me."

"I broke up with Sho."

He blinked. "Oh. Are you alright?"

She nodded and nodded, until she stopped, and looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "I'm not upset that we broke up, it's just that I found out... He brought me to Tokyo... so I could be his live-in maid." She closed her eyes and suppressed a sob. "I ran away from home for him, and he didn't even think of me as a friend." She failed to repress the next sob, and the one after that. "Tsuruga-san," she pleaded, looking up at him. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. Despite his shock, he wrapped his arms tightly around her, one around her waist and one gently holding her head against his heart.

They stayed like that for a while, she crying out her wounds and frustrations, and he merely supporting her. Throughout her emotional upheaval, she couldn't help but remember that this was what a real friend does. Ren was much more her friend than Sho ever was, and it felt so good to her to be held like this while she cried. She used to always cry alone, but Ren's warmth and occasional reassurances were a balm to her lonely soul. It reenforced her love for him. She knew she had never loved Sho as much as she loved Ren, and knowing that was the reason she could finally stand up straight and thank Ren for his support and apologize for ruining his jacket. He wiped the tracks of tears on her face and told her he's be happy to do it anytime. His warm smile made her blush.

She went into a bathroom to wash her face, trying to remove most of the red puffyness from her eyes, before they returned to the party just in time for a flow of flowers and butterflies to sweep through the party hall. Kyoko searched the room for Sho, but found that he must have left already, to her relief. As midnight struck, Ren handed Kyoko a large red rose and wished her a happy birthday. Amazed that he knew her birthday, she accepted the present graciously, knowing that she would treasure the man who gave it to her even long after the rose wilted.

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><p>AN: The conclusion is coming, I can feel it. **Methinks there will be either 2 or 3 more chapters.** depending on how long the next chapter ends up it may be split into two parts, but if it stays as one as i intend, there will only be a chapter 15 and then an epilogue.** I am being completely honest this time.** Seriously. I know exactly what is going to happen now.

OH! AND I FINALLY GOT **100 REVIEWS**! I nearly jumped through the freakin roof when I saw that. Thank you! now let's see if we can get **20 reviews for this chapter and I'll update before the 28th** (of december, lol). It is quite motivation to see triple digit reviews. So please leave your comments. **Even if you think the story was crap but you can tell me if it's possible to download Word for free (see my A/N above) review and tell me**.

Last thing: whoever told me they wanted to see more of side-characters, well this chapter was for you. with all that focus on Maria, Kanae, and then Shoko, I think it really gave this chapter a different perspective. I like it. I'm extremely proud of this chapter honestly, I think it's the best one of the entire story so far. So I hope y'all liked it too. and Review.

Cheers!


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: Ren and Kyoko don't belong to me and I make no money off of this story.**

**Thank you so much to all the people who reviewed the last chapter! And special thanks to the handful of reviews I received in the last couple of weeks that managed to guilt me into writing this chapter. I love all of you.  
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><p><strong>Too Good to Be True to Me Chapter 15<strong>

"So Mio can't even play Mio right? Omigod."

"I know, right? Little Miss One-Trick-Pony."

"More like Little Miss Sleeps-Her-Way-to-fame. I mean, what does Fuwa Sho even see in her?"

"Didn't you hear? They broke up!"

"Did he finally realize how stupid she is?"

"Papers say it was mutual, but I read in the tabloids that some people that know them claim _she_ dumped _him_."

"What a joke."

"Yeah, what a joke."

Kyoko sat on an uncomfortable folding metal chair in the studio, separate from her cast members, who sat together, talking about her. Kyoko was well within earshot, but they didn't care in the slightest.

Considering Ren's advice, Kyoko had accepted the role of Natsu, school bully supreme. The first day of filming this drama seemed set to turn out far more disastrous than her first day on the set of Dark Moon. That day at least had the benefit of ending well. This day showed no such promise.

As the director called NG after NG, Kyoko grew more and more lost. The character descriptions stated that Natsu was an average spoiled teenager who bullied out of boredom; despite her aggressive hobbies, Natsu was pretty, popular, and intelligent.

Kyoko would be hard pressed to find a character less like herself.

With nothing personal to base the character on, she had decided to keep it simple, and just act normal. But the director found that wrong. Her posture was too ladylike- it didn't suit the brass, narcissistic Natsu, and they all thought she was trying to be Mio.

Kyoko attempted to explain that, no, that's really just how she stands, and walks, and bows, but that made things worse. The director brought them to the classroom set to film a scene of Natsu showing her darker side. The director instructed her to "Use Mio," and that confused Kyoko. How could she 'use Mio' for a completely different character?

Her attempts to make the new character her own were met by harsh orders from the director and scathing comments from the very girls playing her entourage. The comments did not bother Kyoko near so much as the director's commands had. Her failure gnawed harshly at the small amount of pride she had developed in her work.

When Kyoko attempted to defend her vague opinions for the style of the character, the director completely shut her down. She ashamedly did as she was told, and was dismissed for the day. The dismissal left the deepest cut for Kyoko. For an hour after she left she wandered the streets of Tokyo. A comment from a costar ran through her mind as she wrapped her jacket tightly around her to ward off the winter chill.

"It's common to have a collision of opinions between actors and directors. But I support your opinion," the girl, a black-haired teen named Chiori, intimated. "To protect the role you've created yourself, an actor must sometimes fight with the director... Don't give up."

Though the girl's words gave her some much needed faith in her opinion, Kyoko knew that the largest problem here was that she had arrived on set without her character prepared. In order to defend her character, she had to first create one.

_A character who commanded attention_. Nose cold from wind, Kyoko watched a pair of ganguro girls strut down the street in front of her. Well, she thought, they certainly are eye-catching. Kyoko imitated their walk for a few steps before slowing to a stop with a frown. No, that definitely is not Natsu.

_A rich girl. Entitled. Careless_. A well dressed woman in her early twenties shoulder-checked Kyoko as she gabbed on her phone, huffing it down the street in designer shoes. Kyoko followed her nearly half a block before dismissing that as well. Too business-like. Natsu wouldn't rush anywhere. The reason she will bully Rumi's character is boredom.

_Someone every girl would admire and want to be like._ Like a fashion model, she thought suddenly. Kyoko stopped dead in her tracks, and two people bumped into her back. She bowed in apology, but they just pushed her aside and hurried along the busy sidewalk.

Kyoko's head spun around like a bobble head. Some people gave her odd looks. Disappointed, she walked down the block. There were no women who seemed like fashion models on the street. A small smile appeared on her face as an idea came to her, and, eyes wide, she doubled her pace. She knew where she could find a model.

Ren was driving when he received an odd call. He answered when he saw the caller ID. He would never ignore Mogami-san.

"Tsuruga-san! Are you home?" Kyoko's voice was excited. But that wasn't unusual.

"I'm on my way home, why?" he answered.

"Would you mind if I made you dinner tonight? I have a favor to ask of you."

"Well, actually-"

"If it's a bother," she interrupted, "then never mind! I wouldn't want to bother you if you're busy."

Ren smiled at her worry. "I'm not busy, and I'd love if you would make me dinner. What favor do you need?"

"Um, I'll tell you about it later," she hedged.

Eyebrows raised in curiosity, Ren answered, "Okay. Would you like for me to pick you up?"

In the few seconds between his question and her answer, Ren started worrying. "Well, actually," she laughed nervously. "I'm actually already at your apartment building."

"But it's freezing out," he said. "Go inside. The doorman will let you in the building, and I'll call him and tell him to give you a spare key to get into the apartment. I won't be there for nearly an hour."

"I can't go into your apartment without you!" Kyoko cried.

Ren sighed, "You can if I'm giving you permission. This way you can start dinner before I get there, and we can talk about this mysterious favor of yours."

Kyoko blushed on the other end of the line. "Alright then. I'll see you soon."

Hanging up, she walked in her usual formal way to the door of the building, perhaps a bit more stiff from the cold. The doorman, after hanging up a phone at the front desk, answered as Ren said he would.

"Are you Mogami-san?" the elderly man asked politely. Kyoko nodded. "Alright then," he said. "Here is Tsuruga-san's key. You know where the apartment is?"

She nodded again, taking the key, and walking to the elevator. The bag of groceries crinkled as she switched her grip on the handles, but other than that the ride was silent. Kyoko felt more than a little awkward, entering a man's apartment without him. It seemed to declare that he belonged to her- that she was more welcome in his life than other women.

Musing on the multitudes of fans who would kill to be in her position, Kyoko entered Ren's apartment. The first thing she noticed, as always when she went there, was that the place smelled like him. She put the bags of food onto the kitchen counter. Nothing she had planned on making would take more than a half hour, so she had some time to kill before she would start.

She shivered. The apartment was well-heated, but she was cold to the bone. She sat on the couch, straight-backed, and took off her cold jacket. She stood right back up and hung it on a hook near the front door. She rubbed her hands on her arms, trying to regain feeling in them.

Sitting back down on the couch, Kyoko pulled out a small bag from a small zippered pocket in her skirt. It was a small felt bag, pulled shut tightly, containing three square zip-top jeweler's bags. She laid them out before her on the coffee table and examined the contents. One held a thin, simple silver chain. The second held a loop of wire, some twisted and bent into an as yet unrecognizable shape. The third held a pink, tear-shaped jewel. She hadn't known what it was when it fell out of the rose Ren gave to her, and after the jeweler informed her that it was a pink sapphire she was afraid to even think that Ren had given it to her on purpose. What could it mean that he gave her such an expensive gift?

Slowly, Kyoko lifted the bag, holding the gemstone in front of her eyes. Could it mean that when her heart pounded around him, it was justified?

A blush covered her face. What a bold thought! She suppressed all her foolish hopes and pulled a small pair of needle-nose pliers out of her purse. With a look of deep concentration, she tugged and pulled the wired into shape, thinking instead about each tiny swirl she created in the silver-colored metal.

As she sat there, she gradually forgot her worries for real and fell into a comfortable pace working on her project. When she didn't like a piece she clipped it off or reshaped it. When she did like a particular swirl she tried to replicate it symmetrically. It was difficult, and usually took several tries, but the setting for the jewel slowly came together. She planned to make it into a necklace. She didn't know what occasion her to wear it, but she wanted it to look absolutely perfect.

She became so engrossed in her project that she lost track of time. The half-hour she planned to wait before cooking passed, as did the remaining twenty minutes before Ren's arrival. He walked in the door and called, "Tadaima," only to receive silence in answer. He checked the kitchen and found groceries sitting on the counter and no evidence of cooking. He found her in the living room, squinting at something tiny in her hands. He took a few steps forward, curious about her behavior.

"Mogami-san?" he called. No response. "Mogami-san," he called again, louder.

She finally heard him. Shocked out of her focus, she jumped off the couch with a yelp. She quickly found her feet and stood to greet him, first putting down the jewel and the twisted wire contraption she had been trying to fit it in.

"Okaeri, Tsuruga-san," Kyoko said with a bow and a smile. Ren smiled at her. Suddenly, Kyoko's face fell and her eyes widened dramatically.

"What's wrong, Mogami-san?" her companion asked with worry.

As she ran into the kitchen she called back, "I got so distracted, I forgot to start dinner."

She sounded so distraught, he just had to laugh at it a little. She acted as if it were the end of the world. The items she left on his coffee table caught his eye. He smiled again when he saw the sapphire.

"Mogami-san, what's this?" he asked with fake ignorance.

She walked out of the kitchen wearing a white apron and holding a knife. "What's what?" she asked. Seeing the items he referred to, she hesitated a moment. Normally, she would answer him directly, but her gut was telling her to boldly approach the topic. For once, she would follow her gut, instead of merely being polite. "Why don't you tell me, Tsuruga-san?"

Ren looked at her, a little surprised at her forwardness, afraid to answer as directly. He asked with a picture-perfect smile, "Have you taken up jewelry-making as a hobby?"

Kyoko looked him right in the face as he answered. Pursing her lips slightly, she ducked her head. "You don't," she began slowly, "recognize the stone, Tsuruga-san?"

Of course he did. He put it in the flower in the first place. But he had planned to tell her some ridiculous legend about a queen and a rose to distract her. Should he tell her now?

"I don't recognize it. It's very pretty, where did you get it?" He lied through his teeth. Guilt rushed through his heart as she looked at him blankly.

"It came out of the rose you gave me for my birthday, Tsuruga-san," she said. "I have no idea how it could have gotten in there."

He moved over to his couch and sat down where she had been before. He picked up the gem gently and held it in his palm. "There is a legend about that rose you know. They call it the Queen Rose. They say-"

She interrupted him, "Excuse me Tsuruga-san, but the stove is on, so I have to go prepare dinner."

He nodded, letting her walk back into the kitchen. He didn't notice her feet drag. Collapsing back into the kitchen, Ren sighed. That was certainly odd, he thought. Kyoko wasn't the kind of person to suspect anyone else of doing anything, good or bad. She never thought people would do something nice just to make her happy. Or at least she never used to. Did she actually believe that he put the sapphire in the rose?

Would that be a good or bad thing?

Well, if she didn't return his feelings, probably bad. Because then she would never accept it. But If she did, it would make it much easier to explain. And she would never think he had done it if she didn't return his feelings, would she? No, she would probably think it was magic even before he told her that stupid story he made up.

Kyoko came back into the room for a moment and tidied up her wires and the gem, putting them back in their bags and putting the bags and her pliers in her purse. She didn't say a thing to Ren while she did this. Worried, Ren asked, "Mogami-san, are you upset with me?"

Kyoko stared at him for a moment before smiling at him dazzlingly. "Of course not, Tsuruga-san. Why would I be?"

She rushed back into the kitchen. With a sigh, she picked back up a knife and finished chopping some vegetables. She felt ashamed at herself for the resentment she felt towards Ren. Just because she hoped that he would tell her he gave her the jewel didn't make it fair for her to treat him rudely, especially since she was about to ask him for a favor! She roughly chopped the vegetables, calling herself stupid. She didn't know whether she should still suspect that the sapphire was from Ren, or just give up the silly fairy tale in her mind. He didn't seem exactly honest when she asked him, but she had probably surprised him with the question.

She sighed again, and suddenly remembered that if Maria-chan were there, she would have told her that sighing is bad luck. She chuckled a little at the innocence of the young girl, believing in such superstitions, even though she had been through so much.

No, Kyoko didn't notice the hypocrisy behind her thoughts whatsoever.

Over dinner, Kyoko told Ren about her first day filming as Natsu. She expanded upon the director's expectations, and her failure to meet them. Getting upset, she told him how she had forced her costars to wait for her, and how upset they had been. She didn't breathe a word about their insults- growing up being insulted be people fawning over Sho, she had grown a pretty thick skin for such things.

Ren listened patiently. When she seemed to be finished, she looked at him with the saddest eyes he had ever seen. He almost wanted to laugh, but he caught himself.

"Kyoko, all actors have disagreements with their directors. I'm sure you'll thoroughly impress him once you find your character," he assured her.

"Chiori-san said something similar. But Tsuruga-san," she protested, " when has a director ever not loved you?"

This time he did laugh. "Kyoko, when I first started, I couldn't hold a job," he chuckled. It amazed him that he could laugh so easily over a matter that had caused him so much angst in the past. This girl is magical, he thought.

"I've never heard that."

He shrugged, "Most people haven't. Actually, no one has. I started in America, under a different name."

Kyoko and Ren both sat in shocked silence at the declaration. Neither could believe he had confessed that.

Ren coughed into his fist awkwardly, and continued, "Directors always hated me because I wouldn't listen to direction and then they fired me. I was an arrogant kid."

Kyoko gasped, "You don't think I was being arrogant when I argued with the director, do you?"

"Oh no," Ren shook his head. "Not at all. It's ridiculous for him to want you to use Mio for an entirely different character."

"That's what I thought, but…"

She trailed off, and sat quietly for a minute, knees pulled up to her chest. He watched her eyes look far away. Eventually, he just had to ask.

"Mogami-san, what exactly did you want to ask me when you came here? Or did you just want an ear to vent to?"

Kyoko came out of her world to say, "You're right, I should get to that." She hesitated before continuing, "I had an idea about creating my own Natsu, so that when I address the director about it, I could actually show him my own character."

"And what idea would that be?" he questioned.

Kyoko laced her fingers together nervously. "Well, I thought, what with Natsu being so pretty and commanding and everyone wanting to be friends with her and be like her, she kind of reminds me of a fashion model."

"So you want to base Natsu off of a female model?" he clarified. At her nod, he asked, "Do you mean a runway model or a model from magazines?"

Blinking blankly, she wondered, "What's the difference?"

"Both walk, stand, and act differently. Let's assume you mean a runway model."

"Okay," she agreed.

"So how did you want me to help you?" he asked. Kyoko sat up, if possible, straighter, pursing her lips.

"Tsuruga-san, you model, don't you?" she asked hopefully.

Oh, no, he thought. She can't mean what I think she means. He nodded suspiciously.

"So you can teach me to walk like a model, can't you?" Her eyes shined with hope as she asked.

"Oh, god, no," he breathed. She was like a puppy. Too cute to resist.

"What did you say?" she asked.

"Nothing," he smiled. "Mogami-san, you must understand, male and female models are very different."

"But you have worked with female models, haven't you?" He nodded. She continued, eyes still shining, "So you obviously paid attention to them, and could show me how they walked, because you are a professional actor and always observe your surroundings so you can build your characters, right?"

She leaned towards him with such a trusting look. How could any man say no to the woman he loved when she asked like that?

"Alright," he sighed. "I'll teach you the style of the woman called the most beautiful model in the world."

Ever a grateful student, Kyoko grinned and thanked him profusely. Inside, though, she wondered if this 'most beautiful model' meant something special to him. Should she be jealous?

Ren set up a mirror and a strip of tape, already regretting this decision. Kyoko stood beside him, at a full attention. He raised an eyebrow at the tension in her shoulders.

"Alright," he said, shocking her out of her detailed imaginings on Ren's former or current romance with the most beautiful model in the world. "Are you ready?" At her nod, he instructed her, "Alright, spread your arms like this," he gestured, "and stand on one leg, with the other kicked back."

She did as she was told, not realizing that she stood like a fire escape sign, until he started laughing out loud at her. Realizing what he had done, the offended young girl exclaimed, "Tsuruga-san, that was so mean!" Her eyes almost started to water, but she held back. Was she just one big joke to him? Did he think it was funny to try and teach someone plain and boring like her to act like the most beautiful model in the world?

Ren saw how upset he had made her, and said comfortingly, "I'm sorry, Mogami-san. You were just so tense, I need you to relax. Come on, I'm still going to teach you how to walk."

True to his word, Ren spent two hours showing Kyoko how to walk like a model. He only performed the walk himself twice- because really, what self respecting man would want to be seen swaying his hips like a woman? But that was enough for Kyoko, and after a few adjustments, she started personalizing it.

About an hour in, Kyoko started walking with a personal swag, a signature sort of cock to her hip when she stopped or turned. A while later she started winking at him when she talked, and she called him 'cutie.'

At the end of two hours, Ren checked the time, and seeing that it was nearly midnight, he said, "I think we should stop. At this point I don't think I can teach you anything further."

Kyoko sashayed confidently over to his side from where she had stood adjusting her hair in the mirror, and grabbed onto his sleeve, pulling him close to her.

"Really? I can think of _something_ you can teach me, cutie," Kyoko said in the sultry voice of her new character. Her hair was combed down stylishly, and her eyelids were heavy with suggestion. Her arms wrapped around Ren's neck, and that's where he drew the line. Though Kyoko's attentions were certainly welcome to him, he did not particularly desire the selfish, egoistic character she had become in this moment.

Grabbing her wrists in his hands, he pulled her away from his body. "I think that's enough, Mogami-san," he declared firmly.

Kyoko gasped, coming back to herself, and said, "I'm so sorry, Tsuruga-san!" Though her apology was sincere, she did not appear remorseful as a smile crept onto her face. "But I think, no, I'm positive I found my Natsu."

Ren smiled back at her, and for a moment he forgot to let go of her wrists, so soft and delicate in his hands. They smiled at each other, until Kyoko blushed and he released his grip.

"I just need one thing to make her perfect," Kyoko said.

"What's that?"

Kyoko started walking back into the living room. She smiled over her shoulder at him and said, "The necklace. I need to finish the setting for the jewel. I think it will make the perfect signature for Natsu."

At the mention of the jewel, Ren sensed some tension between them. Maybe he imagined it out of guilt, but he felt as if when she iced over when it came to that subject. He tried to shrug it off as they sat together on the couch.

Kyoko set to work on the tiny wire setting immediately. Ren merely observed, occasionally talking with her, to which she would respond amiably, but her concentration was clearly on the necklace, so Ren started reading his script for the next day.

Around one, Kyoko started yawning largely. Ren offered her his guest bedroom, which she accepted, but did not go to for another half hour, at least, when she was reasonably pleased with the results of her work on the wire creation.

As Ren showed her the way to the door of his spare bedroom, Kyoko's mind whirled. It felt much too full for her to be able to sleep any time soon. At least one huge question had to be solved before she would sleep. And one matter, one pressing very closely on her heart, could be solved right then.

Lingering at the door Ren opened for her gallantly, Kyoko gently tried to broach the subject. "Tsuruga-san, may I ask you something?" He told her she could, and she said, "About the sapphire that fell out of the rose you gave me…"

She trailed off. Ren's mind was at war, between the side that wanted to confess everything to her, all his faults, his past, his love for her, and the comfort zone-loving side that wanted to remain at this painful stasis for fear of more pain should he move from his position on the chessboard.

"Did you mean it when you said that you didn't know how it got there?" she finally asked. She couldn't look him in the eye for a while, but when she did, his face gave her no clues. "I'm not accusing you of lying! I just, I had just kind of hoped that you…" There was absolutely no way that Kyoko would ever be able to confess what she had hoped. It was more than embarrassing; it had the potential to destroy the friendship with Ren that she cherished very dearly.

"That I put the sapphire in the rose to make you accept a gift you never would have otherwise?" Ren finished for her. He had made up his mind. All of his metaphorical fingers were crossed that this would end well.

Kyoko looked at him with surprise and embarrassment, eyes wide and cheeks flush red. Ren put his two forefingers under her chin when she ducked it, and lifted it back up. He smiled to her. "Would you get mad if I said that I did?" he asked.

Kyoko's eyes grew wider. "No, of course I wouldn't be mad," she whispered. Her voice a bit stronger, she added, "But you shouldn't spend money on me! I'm flattered, and grateful, but…"

Ren let go of her chin and tilted his head slightly. "Why shouldn't I, Mogami-san? Do you think you're not worth it? I think you're worth much more than any amount of money I could ever spend. In fact, Mogami-san," Ren chuckled to release some built up tension, "I would spend everything I have on you I if thought you would accept it."

Shock pulsed through Kyoko. Oh, she would never be able to sleep now. Screw it, this is more important than sleep. "What?" she asked. "Why?"

"Because," he answered slowly, emotionally, "I love you."

Kyoko reacted the only way she could: she wrapped her arms around Ren, and sobbed out raw emotions onto his chest. Her heart felt like it had been on the razor's edge of breaking beyond repair and soaring high with happiness. Now that Ren had burst open the proverbial floodgate, she found that her heart wasn't soaring, but in fact was letting loose all of the unhappiness she had felt in her life. It had been weighed down for so long with her mother's abuse, Sho's exploitation, self-doubt, and self-denial, that now all she could do was try and let go. Ren's supporting arms keeping her weight off the floor and his soothing hands rubbing her back helped more than she could ever thank him for.

"Kyoko?" Ren asked, hoping she wouldn't be offended by his sudden informality.

"Yeah?" she mumbled into his shirt.

"Should I take your tears as a bad reaction to my confession?" His voice was so tentative, Kyoko actually laughed at him.

"No, not at all. I… I love you, too. Oh, no, I've ruined your shirt! I always seem to end up crying on you, I'm sorry," she babbled without interruption from her companion, but as soon as she paused for breath he cut her off.

"Wait, Kyoko, go back and repeat that," he said.

"I'm always crying on you?"

"Back more," he prompted.

"I've ruined your shirt?"

"Just a bit more," he pushed, happily.

"I love you?" she whispered with a dramatic blush that suggested she wanted to die under a rock.

He smiled, "I love you, too." He stroked her cheek lovingly, and Kyoko closed her eyes at the touch, nuzzling into his hand like a cat.

Eyes closed, Kyoko relished the feeling of Ren's large hand holding her face, and didn't expect to feel his lips suddenly on hers. Her eyes opened and she squeaked as Ren pulled back from the innocent peck. As Ren tried awkwardly to apologize, all thoughts of her first kiss happening in a church flew out the window, and she stood on her toes to kiss him back. This time Ren got the surprise, but he ran with it.

Kyoko broke the kiss, slowly, letting him place a sweet last kiss on her lips before she said goodnight, closed the door, and collapsed on the guest bed. She fell right to sleep, and dreamed in pink.

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><p><strong>AN: Oh my god, I'm SO SORRY this took SO LONG! I'm worse than Sensei herself. *Sobs* But really, I just couldn't find motivation to write SB! anything. Once I finish this story with the upcoming epilogue, I don't think I'll be returning to this fandom. Sorry. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as a consolation, and, as I said, the next chapter will complete this story with a cutesy little epilogue. Cheers.**


	16. Epilogue

A/N: Looking back… I really hate the title of this story. It came from the Metro Station song that originally inspired the plot. I haven't listened to that song since I wrote chapter 1. Anyway, here is the conclusion of my first full-length story, and likely the conclusion of my work in Skip Beat! Fan fiction. Thanks a million times to everyone who reviewed, favorite, subscribed, or even read it.

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><p><strong>Too Good to Be True to Me: Epilogue<strong>

Kyoko adjusted the small flower pot in her hands as she moved to ring the doorbell. Beside her, Ren chuckled, stopped her hand with his free one, and opened the front door with a key.

Stepping into the entrance hall and putting down a grocery bag on a table near the door, he called out, "Mom! Dad! We're here!"

The small woman beside him fidgeted uncomfortably, so he wrapped an arm around her waist. "Don't worry," he told her for the hundredth time, "They'll love you. They've been dying to meet you."

Ren was about to say more, but he got cut off by a scream and a tornado of blonde hair attacking him and his girlfriend. He rolled his eyes. _Mom._

"Oh, Kuon, it's so good to finally have you home! And you must be Kyoko! Oh, you're even prettier than Kuon told us!" Kyoko could hardly keep up with the woman, but smiled politely nonetheless.

"Julie, dear, let them breathe," a male voice said. Kuu Hizuri walked straight up to his son and gave him a hug more enveloping than his wife had. "I've missed you, my beautiful boy," Kuu said, making his son groan, before he moved to introduce himself to the nervous girl beside him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kyoko. Call me Kuu. We," he pulled his wife to him, "have been looking forward to meet you."

Kyoko bowed politely and said, "Please take care of me," as she always did.

It was too much for Julie, who grabbed the girl- her daughter, she already thought- and hugged her again, telling her husband and son, "She is just too precious!"

Kuon agreed, "That's what I thought." Kyoko, mercifully, managed to not blush, and just smiled at him.

"Well, now that we're all introduced," Kuu declared, "who wants to help me put dinner together?" The question was directed at his wife and son, but Kyoko answered.

"I'd love to help, if you don't mind," she offered sweetly.

Julie protested, "You're a guest dear, you don't need to-"

"C'mon, Julie, she's family now!" Kuu half-shouted. With that, he held out an arm to Kyoko, who hesitantly took it, and let him lead her to their kitchen. She waved back at Kuon, who smiled before going to the living room with his mother to catch up and not risk burning down the kitchen, for both were completely inept at housework.

In the kitchen, Kuu asked Kyoko a lot of questions about herself, her childhood, her acting, what Kuon acted like in Japan. She felt a bit like he was testing her. She wasn't sure if she passed, until he tried some food she made.

Long story short, he loved it, and said, "Kyoko, if my son ever does anything stupid, you can come here and replace him. You'll be a new Kuon: one who can cook," he joked.

"If you don't mind my asking," she felt safe to ask him some questions now, "What was Ren, um, Kuon, like as a child?"

Kuu's eyes opened wide, and he clasped his hands in front of his heart. Kyoko had no idea the floodgates of adoration that she had just opened.

"He was the most gorgeous, wonderful, intelligent son I could ever ask for. He and Julie shined with beauty and made the world a more beauteous place! He was so talented at absolutely everything he did, from schoolwork, to sports, to acting, everything. He was so well mannered as a boy, everyone who met him thought he was just the most precious…"

Kyoko stopped listening in fear and began to slowly back away. Waiting for him to finish his tirade, ten minutes passed, and Kyoko finished the last odds and ends for their meal. Sticking her head into the living room, Kyoko called her boyfriend and his mother for dinner.

When they walked in, the two were exasperated, but not really surprised, to see Kuu ranting about the wonders of his son.

Julie walked up to him, put a hand on his shoulder, and gave him a peck on the cheek. His story about Kuon's triumphant goal in soccer at age five- the only goal he had ever made, actually- halted abruptly. He turned to his wife and returned her kiss playfully, hugging her waist. Kyoko watched the romantic couple happily, and leaned back into her lover a little. He put his hands on either side of her waist and kissed the top of her head.

"Alright," Kuu called eagerly and a bit louder than necessary, "time to eat!"

Dinner was a simple affair, comfortable and cheery. Kyoko could see how happy Kuon was to return to his parents finally. She knew how his past tortured him, and she wanted desperately to help him, but didn't know how. However, just having her beside him helped him move on more than he could ever explain. It would be a long process, but his reconciliation with his former self is a story for another time.

Kyoko found that the Hizuris were young souls. Matching their young appearances, their childlike joy in simple pleasures, such as family, food, and each other, exuded a happiness that anyone would envy. They laughed and smiled constantly, loved telling stories about the past, and thoroughly enjoyed the present. Their energy was refreshing.

After dinner the four sat in their TV room and a large couch. Kuu put a DVD in the player with a slightly mischievous smile, and as he pressed some buttons on a remote, Kyoko's face appeared on the screen. Her real face, meanwhile, paled before blushing profusely.

She started, "Kuu-san, what-"

"I told you to call me Tou-san, Kyoko!" he interrupted.

"And call me Kaa-san, too," Julie added, smiling brightly.

Kyoko blushed a bit at the liberty, but conceded, "Alright then, Tou-san, why are we watching this?"

"What are you talking about?" he asked. "Box 'R' is one of my favorite shows! The actress playing the antagonist is so talented; she's the highlight of the show."

Beside her, Kuon chuckled, and she shoved him. He gave her a sheepish look and kissed her cheek.

"I'd like to watch it as well," Kuon agreed, making Kyoko bristle in annoyance, "Since you never let me watch it at home."

"I love hearing commentary from the actors," Kuu told her, "So I was hoping you could tell us some good storied from the set."

The three Americans looked at her expectantly. She sighed. She never could say no to people when they asked for anything, especially when she loved them as much as she loved Kuon and was growing to love his parents. She nodded, and as soon as she did Kuu pressed play with a cheer on the pilot episode of her second drama.

The opening credits ran, and Kyoko said nothing. She looked around at the three kind, caring, loving people surrounding her. Julie glanced over at her when her name read across the screen, and smiled hugely, reaching to squeeze her hand. A warmth rushed through Kyoko, one that she hadn't truly felt since she was a baby. Vestiges of this she had felt over the years, during the good times with the Fuwas, and the Okami-san and Taisho of the Darumaya had tried to make her feel this way. But nothing as all-encompassing as this. She felt safe, loved, and cherished. She felt like she was a part of a family.

Kyoko's eyes misted over and she nearly cried with happiness, but she held the tears back. She enjoyed the feeling for a few minutes as the show opened and the main character was introduced.

When the cameras turned to Kyoko's group of friends, she started telling them a story about the fight she had had behind the scenes with the black-haired member of the group. It seemed only appropriate to finally tell this story, now that she thought she had an audience that cared. They gasped, protested, and cheered in all the right places. She had their attention more than the television did.

As Kyoko spun her tale about repressed anger, getting pushed down stairs, and her character's blackmail creating the best bully scene they had ever filmed, despite the mix of anger, guilt, and fear the story rose in her chest, she felt safe and encompassed by her family's love. For the first time in a long time, Kyoko felt totally and blissfully happy. And she could see a happy life in her future, with a successful career and a perfect partner beside her.

Kyoko had changed since she had come to Tokyo; she had gained more confidence, independence, and she knew much better now what it meant to love. And who did she have to thank for it? Sho, of all people.

As the first episode of Box 'R' reached it's climax, she switched pace, and she started telling a funny story about how her co-star, the girl playing her best friend, had been flirting with a stage hand, and somehow tripped over a camera track and fell head first into a garbage pale. They laughed until their stomachs hurt, Kyoko wrapped in Kuon's arms, Julie still holding her hand even though they were all shaking with laughter.

As soon as he could breathe again, Kuu wiped a tear out of his eye and told his son, "Kuon, you can't let this one get away. She's too perfect."

Kuon smiled at his father, and then at his girlfriend. "I know. I don't intend to," he promised. Suddenly the diamond ring in his pocket weighed a hundred pounds. Later, he thought. He intended to pop the question in the garden at midnight. He wondered if she would think that was fairy tale-ish enough.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Yeah, I know, it's corny as all hell. But with a story like this, with a huge build up and then the main event being her leaving her crap boyfriend for a better one, you need some hopeless romance to finish it all off. Hope you all enjoyed. **Drop a final review? Cheers!**


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